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A brand new training programme teaching early stage researchers how to commercialise their ideas and create profitable business ventures has just been piloted by Swansea University’s Department of Research and Innovation.

The Bridging Innovation programme, funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), was offered to early stage researchers to encourage them to think innovatively about the commercialisation of their research and ideas, with the underlying benefit of adding value to Wales through innovation.

Hailed as a success by those who attended, Bridging Innovation is an example of how the Department of Research and Innovation runs extra-curricular courses with the aim of enhancing innovation –sewing the seed at the right stage with researchers to maximise on idea development. Ali Parker, the University’s Knowledge Transfer Officer who organised the course explains further:

“Bridging Innovation is the first step toward developing a knowledge economy in Wales; a critical area for Swansea University as far as developing entrepreneurship, enhancing research credibility and generating income.  The Research Assistants that we are targeting are the people who will be driving the economy in Wales forward over the next few decades’’

“We worked closely with Chris James from CIOTEK Limited - a business development consultancy -who delivered the programme along with input from experienced entrepreneurs, business advisors and successful academics.

“The feedback from the attendees was superb, and the experience has proven the need to support early stage academics and help them realise the potential commercial activity their ideas could bring, as well as showing them the tools with which to achieve this.

The Department also assists early stage researchers in the process of commercialisation by providing patent advice and standard non-disclosure agreements to protect any Intellectual Property Rights.

Hefin Dafydd a PhD student who took part in the course, said:
“Over the last few years I have been increasingly interested in establishing a company developed from an innovation so I was eager to attend the Bridging Innovation programme to learn more about the process. 

“The valuable course content was presented by different speakers and using various teaching methods which made the course interesting, motivational and resourceful.   A great deal was covered in a relatively short time including the stages of innovation, team working, patents, business accounts, business planning  and learning from case studies.

“I am very grateful to the organisers and sponsors for the course that was interactive, energising and very worthwhile.”

Steve Brown who has experienced firsthand life as a Research Assistant and has been very successful since – setting up a company, Haemair Ltd, that owns patented technology – presented to the Research Assistants at the Bridging Innovation programme.  He said:

“I made the transition from a research officer in academia to the first employee of a small medical device company, Haemair Ltd, in May 2006. From a personal viewpoint the EPSRC Bridging Innovation programme gave me a chance to convey to students and research assistants at Swansea University the differences I have encountered between working for a university and working for a small hi-tech company.

“As the two working environments are very different, I emphasised to the students that the wider breadth of responsibility of working for an SME, combined with a broad job specification, would allow them to develop an excellent range of knowledge and experience – to encourage them to think about taking a similar route.”