Welcome to the May issue of Materials World
The ecosystems that universities across the UK are building to translate academic research into commercial reality were unpacked at a Westminster Forum event. Indeed, Research England has asked universities to voluntarily adopt recommended practices from an Independent Review of University Spin-out Companies.
There is clearly much at play to ensure these companies make good on the potential research impact, scale up and survive and, in turn, spur economic growth. 'Spin-outs are inevitably a really crucial part of being agile in where we develop new clusters, new technologies, new sectors as a whole,' reflected Dr Stuart Wilkinson, CEO of Knowledge Exchange UK.
Clearly, skills development is a key part of this. Dr Robert Phillips of the Alliance Business School, at the University of Manchester, UK, sheds light on how students can hone entrepreneurship skills.
One of the most tangible ways universities can impact our daily lives is through commercialising research to improve health outcomes. Our features this issue illustrate this potential.
However, taking an idea all the way to patient use is perhaps more complex than getting the green light for novel technologies in other sectors, not least due to the regulatory aspects, as well as ensuring clinical and patient engagement, notes Professor Róisín Owens of the University of Cambridge, UK in Powering up.
Owens shares the opportunities and challenges in the growing bioelectronics sector specifically, as outlined by the Henry Royce Institute. She notes the field is 'dominated by start-ups and university spin-offs, which generally require substantial and diligent support to develop and commercialise their technologies. These challenges are not unique to one region and therefore speed in tackling them could position the UK as a world leader'.
Rupal Mehta, Editor
We hope you enjoy this issue.
