South: HEFCE and Innovate UK fund to boost UK university spin-outs and research

Research from universities across the south of England could be commercialised and turned into successful businesses faster than ever before, thanks to a multi-million-pound project announced today by minister for universities and science Greg Clark MP.

Funded by HEFCE and Innovate UK, the £3.2 million ‘iCURE’ project aims to ‘bridge the valley of death’ identified by the House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee. The project will help address issues raised in the Government’s response to the committee’s inquiry last year, including the importance of innovation by universities in managing intellectual property and of attention to the availability of ‘proof of concept’ funding.

iCURE will see HEFCE, Innovate UK and university enterprise partnership SETsquared work together on a pilot to tackle these issues and help accelerate research, being successfully commercialised and ‘spun out’ new high-potential companies.

Under the programme, early-stage researchers at the five SETsquared universities (Bath, Bristol, Exeter, Southampton and Surrey) will be given tailored training, mentoring and funds to speed up the commercialisation of their ideas, technologies and products. The project was inspired by Innovate UK’s review of a similar programme operated by the US National Science Foundation, and is funded by a £2.8m HEFCE cash injection and £400,000 from Innovate UK.

Clark said: “Collaboration is the key to turning the best research into new businesses. We are proud that SETsquared is already Europe’s best incubator, and second in the world, which is why we are supporting this pilot scheme. It will provide skills, support and mentoring to help the UK’s best researchers turn their ideas into commercial success. This strengthens the UK’s position as the best place for science and technology research, and drives forward our economic growth.”

Don Spalinger, board member of SETsquared and director of research and innovation services at the University of Southampton said that iCURE could see university research being commercialised faster than ever before, something that is vital for universities.

He added: “Particularly in the field of technology, where everything evolves so fast, getting a product to market quickly can make the difference between creating a successful business and falling behind. The flexibility of this programme and the way it is run will allow researchers to assess their markets much faster, meaning they can potentially seek investment or sell their ideas within just a few months.”

Mark Glover, director of strategy at Innovate UK, said: “The UK’s research is world-renowned, but we need to be fast if we're going to make the most of the business opportunities that research brings with it. Innovate UK helps bridge the gap between concept and commercialisation and this scheme, along with the additional funding we're making available to the spin-outs, will help some of our best universities move quickly to create successful, high-growth businesses.”

Innovate UK, which helps businesses bring new innovations to the market, is separately making £6m available over the next two years to help university spin-out companies develop faster and be more attractive to private investors.

The iCURE programme was announced today as SETsquared held its 11th annual investment showcase, Accelerating Growth, at The Shard.