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title: Experiments in innovation – how we've progressed in 25 years
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Discover the latest news, events and opportunities to collaborate between business and academia here at Imperial

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View in browser Imperial Enterprise – October newsletter    Experiments in innovation   Vicky Kilcoyne, Associate Director of Commercial Services Innovation and entrepreneurship are a higher priority than ever at Imperial, and major expansion of our innovation ecosystem is afoot as we extend further across the South East through the WestTech Corridor, and to other countries through Imperial Global hubs including the US hub that launched yesterday in the San Francisco Bay Area.   I’ve been one of those driving the development of the Imperial ecosystem for 25 years now, and this anniversary has prompted me to reflect on how it has evolved in that time.   Back in 1999, our research partnerships with industry were typically based on long-standing relationships between individual academics and company R&D scientists, who were often their former PhD students.   Startups were academic spinouts, and debate was focused on whether academics had the necessary qualities to run businesses. Consultancy by academics was an important activity, as it is now, but focused mainly on major corporate clients.   In the years since, we’ve been constantly experimenting with new ways to support innovation, aiming to increase the volume of activity in part by drawing a broader cross-section of staff, students and businesses into the ecosystem.   One of the biggest changes I’ve seen is our increased support for student and academic entrepreneurship, as our entrepreneurship service the Enterprise Lab surged on a wave of interest in startup culture. This has been so successful that programmes such as WE Innovate, for women-led ventures, are now going international.   Another is the variety of companies we work with. Our valued partners in heavy industry are now joined by companies in sectors such as film and fashion, and increasingly include SMEs, which we support directly and through publicly funded programmes such as the Healthcare Technologies Capability Connector and the Better Futures programme.   The unit I currently work in helps establish unusual and pioneering projects such as the Imperial Maths School for sixth formers, and the Pears Cumbria School of Medicine launched with the University of Cumbria.   I think of these projects, which don’t fit into our established modalities, as like duck-billed platypuses. Sometimes by the time you’ve patted one, it really is just a beaver or duck, and we move it to an established pathway. The ones that stay weird, stay in our team.   This commitment to experimenting with new forms of partnership can sometimes make Imperial a tricky place to navigate for outside organisations. But over the years we’ve gained a better idea of what works and begun to consolidate, and things are getting much easier to signpost and deliver.   It has also put us in a strong place to take our innovation ecosystem to the next level, backed by the major university-level commitments found in Imperial’s new strategy. I’m grateful to you, our partners, for your support, and look forward to seeing where we go next.   Best wishes, Vicky Kilcoyne Associate Director of Commercial Services Imperial College London News Imperial launches US hub   Imperial has announced a new San Francisco hub to make it even easier for innovators partnering on both sides of the Atlantic to create solutions to global challenges. Imperial partners with Singapore ports   Imperial and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore have joined forces to accelerate the green and digital transition in the maritime industry. Professor Mary Ryan talks innovation   The Vice Provost (Research and Enterprise) discusses the new US hub and other developments on Jimmy's Jobs of the Future (Apple Podcasts). Cycle helmets ranked by safety   Cyclists choosing a new helmet can see how much protection different helmets offer, thanks to new safety rankings from Imperial. Search on for Earthshot nominees   Imperial is an Official Nominator for the Earthshot Prize and seeks suggestions for sustainability startups to nominate for consideration by the Prize Council. Five winners will each receive £1m. Textile startup wins Undaunted prize   Fab Materials, a startup offering tech to turn end-of-life textiles into products for the construction industry has won a prize from The Greenhouse accelerator at climate innovation centre Undaunted. Spinout to boost graphene production   New spinout 2D Nano will use novel manufacturing techniques to produce nanomaterials such as graphene more efficiently – helping realise their potential in fields such as coatings and energy. Imperial scores highly in KEF   Imperial has scored top marks in five out of seven categories in the Knowledge Exchange Framework, which rates universities on how well they engage with industry and society. Events Science and Tech VC Fellowship Starting November 2024   A training programme for venture capitalists (VCs) and founders transitioning into VC is offering business education on deep tech and life sciences, and exposure to frontier technologies. Applications close soon. Vincent Briscoe Security Lecture 7 Nov, 17:00-18:30, South Kensington   Institute for Security Science and Technology lecture by Yvette Stevens, former Sierra Leone representative to the UN, on the role of science in national security. Imperial space showcase 2024   13 Nov, 10:00-16:30, White City   A space technology event for businesses supported by the Satellite Applications Catapult will focus on opportunities for collaboration with academia. Retrofit innovation roundtable   13 Nov, 14:00-17:00, White City   Pathways to Change: A Retrofit Innovation Roundtable will offer insights to specialists such as developers, local authorities and energy consultants committed to making a meaningful impact on London’s built environment.   Deep Tech Network   14 Nov, 17:30-20:30, White City   Imperial and Upstream host a networking event for deep tech innovators, featuring speakers, drinks and pizza.    All You Can Innovate – Sustainability 27 Nov, 09:00-15:00, White City Event series All You Can Innovate returns to offer businesses developing sustainability solutions access to information and networking opportunities with Imperial researchers. The long read Balancing uncertainty How the PRESTIGE-AF project is finding answers to support vulnerable stroke patients.   You have received this email because you subscribed to the Enterprise Newsletter or agreed to receive communications from Imperial Enterprise. This email was sent from enterprise@imperial.ac.uk Copyright © Imperial College London, All rights reserved. Imperial Enterprise, South Kensington, , London,SW7 2AZ,,United Kingdom, Unsubscribe Manage Preferences |
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