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I often talk about the interface between research and business. The intellectual and impactful satisfaction of industry-academia research collaboration. The exhilaration of research commercialisation. The bonkers but incredible world of the spinout founder. The government has made it abundantly clear that universities must lean into these spaces – must work more closely with industry, must create companies that stimulate growth, productivity and innovation. I talk about these things because I buy those arguments, because I recognise the importance of these activities. I also talk about them because, well, that’s my job! To stimulate more of this kind of activity at the University of Bristol.

Given the strong external drivers for such activities, one could be forgiven for thinking that jobs like mine are easy! The raw materials – incredible people, amazing research, industry demand for innovation, investor enthusiasm for hot investment opportunities – are all present and correct. And yet… it’s fun, it brings me joy, but easy? No, my job isn’t easy, and nor is it for my peers at other institutions.

A lot of what I do is about removing barriers. Figuring out what holds people back, what stops them from engaging. We’ve created Fellowships to buy out people’s time and provide them with dedicated support. We’ve created new training material, and engaged with others to share their training material, to upskill our people. We put on events, and we share stories and profiles to celebrate and publicise this great work and the great people who drive it. We engage extensively with industry stakeholders and investors to understand their needs.

But in a sense, these things – fellowship, training, events –speak to those academics who are already on board. If you don’t think this is for you, you aren’t going to go to training, events, apply for fellowships. So what do we do about those people?

Enter Stage Left: The University of Bristol Enterprise and Innovation Champions!

On 25 September, colleagues gathered to celebrate the launch of the Enterprise and Innovation Champions scheme — a new initiative that recognises researchers and academics who are embedding enterprise and innovation in their work and helping others to do the same.

Enterprise and Innovation Champions come from across all faculties and at all career stages. They are academics who have translated their research into products, services, companies, and collaborations that make a real-world difference — and who now share that experience as mentors, advocates, and connectors.

They might have a spinout or social venture spinout. They might offer technical or consultancy services to commercial clients. They might do collaborative research with companies outside of the University, or license technologies or databases into companies. The “what” varies from person to person, but all Champions are people who want to embed Enterprise and Innovation as a core theme of academic life at the University, and want to share their experiences with others to inspire and support them. Crucially, in the mission to engage with those academics who aren’t currently engaged in enterprise and innovation, they are still academics. As humans, we have a tendency to listen to people like us. So who better to convince academics that these activities have an important part to play in the academic endeavour, than other academics –very special ones?

I am enormously grateful to our inaugural Champions and look forward to working with them and supporting them over the coming year.

👉 To learn more, University of Bristol staff and PGRs can explore the new Enterprise and Innovation SharePoint site to meet the Champions and find out how they can support your work.

In this spotlight, we spoke with Henry Hickson, a PhD researcher at the Bristol Robotics Laboratory, who is using his fellowship to explore how swarm robotics could transform last-mile delivery. From rethinking urban logistics to engaging with city councils and testing robot prototypes, Henry’s journey is a brilliant example of how early career researchers can lead the way in sustainable enterprise.

From Ship Science to Swarm Robotics

Henry’s journey into robotics began in an unexpected place: ship science. “I started my career journey in engineering when I did my undergrad in ship science, which was all about designing ships,” he explains. But while the maritime industry offered a solid foundation in engineering, Henry was drawn to something faster-moving and more innovative.

That curiosity led him to the FARSCOPE Centre for Doctoral Training in Robotics and Autonomous Systems – a joint programme between the University of Bristol and UWE. “The nice thing about robotics is everything is growing really fast and innovating really quickly,” he says. “It was a shift from that shipping space into this really exciting, fast-growing area.”

It was during his PhD that Henry began working closely with Professor Sabine Hauert, a leading researcher in swarm robotics. Together, they began to explore how this powerful but under-commercialised technology could be brought out of the lab and into the real world.

From Research to Real-World Impact

Swarm robotics – where many small robots work together to complete complex tasks – has long been a promising area of academic research. But as Henry notes, “they’ve done well in research but, so far, have struggled to make it into real world applications.”

That challenge became a motivation. “We were asking: how can we make this happen? How can we take this amazing technology and apply it to real-world problems?” The answer, for Henry, was entrepreneurship. The ECEF offered a structured way to explore commercialisation, with time, training, and support to test ideas and build a business case.

One of the key barriers, he notes, is that academic research often focuses on improving solutions rather than identifying problems. “In research, we’re focused on making the technology better – can it do more than the last version? But we don’t always ask: who needs this, and why?” That’s where the concept of product-market fit comes in. “It’s the Holy Grail for robotics startups,” Henry says. “And it’s something we don’t always think about enough in academia.”

The ECEF helped shift that mindset. “It changed our thinking from ‘what can we build?’ to ‘what problems can we solve?’” That shift laid the foundation for SWOOT, a startup concept focused on using swarms of small robots to tackle urban logistics challenges.

Rethinking the Last Mile

SWOOT is tackling one of the most pressing challenges in logistics: last-mile delivery. “There’s a huge amount of stuff being moved around – parcels, hospital supplies, campus deliveries – and we often rely on vans and trucks, which aren’t sustainable,” Henry explains.

Rather than replacing vans entirely, the aim is to support and collaborate with delivery operators by offloading the most difficult part of the journey- navigating neighbourhoods and locating individual houses and flats. “Vans are great for getting deliveries to local hubs,” Henry says, “but the last part, finding the right door in a busy neighbourhood is where things get tricky.”

The idea is to use swarms of small, autonomous robots to deliver goods from local hubs to their final destinations. These robots could operate on pavements or within campuses, reducing the need for polluting vehicles in city centres. “We’re looking at how we can make neighbourhoods more livable and delivery more efficient,” he says. “It’s about being sustainable and community-focused.”

While electric vans are often seen as a green solution, Henry points out their limitations for operating in our local neighbourhoods “They still have a high embodied carbon cost, and they contribute to congestion and poor air quality,” he says. “Our robots are smaller, quieter, and can operate 24/7. Plus, they’re kind of cute.”

But it’s not just about emissions – it’s also about experience. “Electric vans still clog up streets, they still kick up dust, and they’re not that nice to be around,” Henry says. “And from a customer perspective, they don’t solve the problem of missed deliveries or inconvenient timing.”

That’s where SWOOT’s model comes in. By creating local delivery hubs and using robots to complete the final leg of the journey, life becomes easier for the delivery vans and customers can choose to collect parcels from nearby lockers or have them delivered at a time that suits them. “I was literally waiting for a rug to be delivered while we were doing this interview,” Henry laughs. “They couldn’t find my address. If we had a robot system, it could have been so much easier.”

Considering Ethics in Robotics Deployment

As Henry’s project moves closer to real-world implementation, ethical considerations are front of mind. “Robotics and ethics is tricky to manage – it’s a massive area and it’s growing,” he says. From questions around public space usage to the impact on jobs and community trust, deploying fleets of autonomous robots isn’t just a technical challenge – it’s a social one.

Henry and his colleagues are engaging with stakeholders, including Bristol City Council, to explore how delivery robots can coexist with pedestrians, prams, and wheelchairs. “It’s about asking: is this beneficial? What are the impacts if we do it—and should we do it?” he explains. Rather than building in isolation, the team is committed to co-designing with communities to ensure the technology serves people, not just efficiency.

Learning Through Listening

One of the most valuable lessons Henry has learned through the ECEF is the importance of listening – to customers, stakeholders and delivery staff. Early on, the team explored campus deliveries as a potential use case, given their proximity and familiarity with the environment. But through conversations with students, staff, and logistics teams, they realised the importance of understanding not just what’s technically possible, but what people actually need and value.

Instead of pushing a solution, Henry went on a “problem-searching mission,” speaking to people across different sectors to understand where the real pain points were. That process led to a more viable and impactful business model focused on delivery hubs and robot-assisted parcel lockers.

Rather than ruling out any specific setting, Henry emphasises the importance of staying open and responsive. “It’s all about finding the right fit between the technology and the real-world need,” he says. “And that only happens when you talk to people.”

Building Confidence and Community

Beyond the business idea, Henry credits the ECEF with helping him build confidence and a strong support network. “The cohort has been amazing. Just having a WhatsApp group where we can share ideas and challenges has been so helpful,” he says.

He also highlights the value of training from SETsquared and opportunities like the Festival of Enterprise and pitch competitions. “Standing up and saying, ‘this is my idea’ – that’s scary, but the feedback and connections have been incredible.”

One moment that stood out was the Festival of Enterprise. “The Festival of Enterprise gave us a stage and said, ‘go do it,’” Henry recalls. “It was a bit forward-thinking and a bit out there, but we instantly had a room of 150 people giving us feedback. Some were investors, others were curious academics from other disciplines – all of them had thoughts, questions, or ideas that helped us move forward.”

These experiences have helped Henry develop not just a business case, but a new way of thinking about research and its potential. “I’ve always been more applied in my approach, but this has helped me understand how to take research and make it useful.”

Shaping Research Thinking

Henry’s background in applied engineering has always influenced his approach to research. “My previous undergraduate degree was very applied engineering,” he explains. “So I’ve always focused my research probably more on the applied side than others might have.”

The ECEF experience helped him refine that thinking even further. “It’s not just about how I conduct research – it’s about how to transition it into something useful,” he says. “If you constrain yourself too much to the realities of the real world, you then limit what you can achieve from a research perspective, but if you ignore those realities entirely, you risk missing the opportunity to make a real impact.”

Henry believes there’s a balance to be struck. “There’s still a lot of value in blue-sky research, but for those of us doing more applied work, it’s important to focus on solving real problems. That’s where schemes like ECEF are so valuable—they help bridge the gap between research and commercialisation.”

Henry’s enthusiasm for the fellowship has also sparked interest among those around him. He describes the response from his supervisor and research group as one of genuine excitement, with the fellowship offering a rare opportunity to dedicate time to exploring commercial potential. Conversations with other postgraduate researchers – especially those from different disciplines – have often ignited curiosity. “It’s given me the confidence to talk about commercialisation,” Henry says. “Now I understand the correct language and can have meaningful conversations with others about how their research might translate into real-world impact.”

Through the fellowship, Henry has also developed a sharper eye for spotting commercial potential in other people’s research. “Now I’ve done a bit more of training and thinking, I can look around the lab and even at other people’s research and think, ‘that would make a great business,’” he says. “I wouldn’t have been able to do that before.” This new perspective has led to conversations with fellow researchers about how their work might be applied in the real world. “If everyone had that skill set to spot it, I think you’d get more people moving into this space and being successful at it.”

Looking Ahead

As the fellowship draws to a close, Henry is focused on refining SWOOT’s pitch deck, applying for grants, and exploring follow-on programmes like Innovate UK’s ICURe.

While he’s keeping one foot in academia, his heart is clearly in the startup world. “I’m driven by impact,” he says. “And startups are all about solving real problems.”

Henry’s journey is a powerful example of how early career researchers can lead innovation with purpose. His advice to others? “If you’re even slightly interested in entrepreneurship, go for it. The ECEF gives you the tools, the time, and the confidence to make it happen.”

Most PhD graduates today don’t go on to academic careers. Yet the structure, expectations, and even the culture of the PhD have changed remarkably little in decades. Meanwhile, the industries and sectors that employ these highly trained researchers are evolving at speed — reshaped by AI, climate change, digital transformation, and global uncertainty.

That disconnect was the starting point for the University of Bristol’s Industry Roundtable on “The PhD for the Future”, held in July 2025. The event brought together senior industry partners, University academics, professional services colleagues, and current and prospective PhD students to explore a simple but urgent question:

If most doctoral graduates build their careers outside academia, how should the PhD evolve to reflect that reality?

A growing appetite for change

Across sectors, there was strong consensus that the traditional, one-size-fits-all PhD model no longer fits the world graduates now enter. Participants argued for a more flexible, collaborative, and skills-focused approach that recognises the diversity of today’s doctoral researchers and the breadth of the careers they pursue.

Some of the clearest messages included calls for:

1. Flexibility and customisation

Could PhDs offer more varied entry points, durations, and exit routes — including pathways through MRes or modular qualifications? Similarly, does the thesis need take the form of a single monolithic document? Portfolio-based, multimedia, and “aggregate” theses could potentially all demonstrate the same level of rigour while allowing candidates to showcase a wider range of skills.

2. Collaboration over isolation

Industry representatives were clear that teamwork and interdisciplinarity are essential to success in real-world innovation. They questioned whether a purely solo research project prepares students for collaborative environments, calling instead for team-based and challenge-led PhDs that mirror the way industry tackles complex problems.

3. Recognising “human” skills

Communication, leadership, critical thinking, and project management were described as essential—not “soft”—skills. Several participants rejected the label “soft skills” altogether, preferring “human skills” to reflect their real importance in every professional context. These, they argued, should be explicitly developed, assessed, and rewarded as part of doctoral training.

4. Industry engagement and experience

There was strong support for direct industry experience as a core feature of future PhDs. A three-month paid internship in industry was one of the most widely endorsed proposals, building on a model already used in some Centres for Doctoral Training but rarely available to other PGRs. This would allow PhD candidates to gain hands-on understanding of organisational dynamics, teamwork, and applied research. Others advocated for co-supervised projects, industry input into thesis questions and assessment, and challenge-based learning, where PhD work directly engages with practical problems posed by partners.

5. Redefining success

Participants urged a rethink of what the PhD is for — and how success is measured. Rather than focusing solely on publications or a single “big thesis,” the roundtable explored ways to recognise the development of the researcher themselves as the true outcome.

As one participant put it:

“The researcher becomes the primary output of the PhD — not just the research.”

That shift in perspective could be profound. It implies that the goal of doctoral training is not just new knowledge, but new capacity: people who can apply deep expertise to broad challenges, and who can adapt, lead, and create value wherever their careers take them.

Bridging understanding: what PhDs already do

One of the most revealing moments came when current and prospective PhD students spoke about their own experiences. Many of the skills and behaviours industry partners said they wanted — teamwork, communication, leadership, adaptability — are already part of many PhD journeys, even if they’re not always visible or formally recognised.

Doctoral researchers described how they learn to manage projects, collaborate across disciplines, present to varied audiences, and solve complex, ambiguous problems — often through conferences, public engagement, or interdisciplinary initiatives that sit outside their core PhD work.

What emerged was a sense of mutual surprise: industry partners hadn’t always realised how multifaceted a modern PhD can be, while students recognised how much of their development happens informally and without assessment.

This highlights two important messages. First, universities need to communicate more clearly what PhD training already delivers — the skills, versatility, and creative problem-solving that doctoral graduates bring to the workforce. But second, there is a case for bringing those broader elements into the core of the PhD, rather than leaving them to chance or extracurricular effort.

If these competencies are valued by employers and integral to success, they should be embedded, supported, and assessed, not treated as optional add-ons.

Concrete proposals for reform

The roundtable discussions were structured to generate specific, practical proposals. Among the most popular were:

• Three-month company internships, competitively selected and co-designed between students, supervisors, and employers, with clear learning outcomes.
• Challenge-based learning embedded into the PhD experience — using real industry or societal problems as the context for developing research and professional skills.
• An industry-determined doctoral skills framework, defining and assessing the capabilities that employers most value.
• A new Chartered Researcher status, recognising “rounded” researchers who demonstrate both technical excellence and the professional skills needed to translate their knowledge into impact.
• Periodic reviews involving both academic and industry assessors to track development towards becoming a well-rounded researcher.

Taken together, these ideas form a blueprint for a more agile, relevant, and inclusive doctoral training system — one that still safeguards academic depth, but situates it within a broader understanding of contribution and value.

Cultural shifts and equity considerations

Beyond structural reform, the discussion highlighted deeper cultural challenges. Participants called for greater supervisor training around industry collaboration and student development, more equitable access to PhD study (including paid internships, pensions, and childcare support), and the dismantling of what some called “academic elitism” — the idea that traditional research outputs are the only measure of quality or success.

Equally, there was a strong sense that doctoral training should not rely on students seeking out enrichment opportunities on their own. The broader skills that make researchers adaptable and employable should be built in, not bolted on — part of what the PhD is, not just what proactive individuals manage to add.

Shared purpose

What was most striking about the roundtable was the degree of alignment between industry and academia. Both recognised that future-facing PhDs must prepare researchers to work across boundaries, to see context as well as content, and to translate expertise into impact.

Industry representatives emphasised their desire to engage more deeply — not just as funders, but as co-creators of research and co-supervisors of students. Academics, for their part, expressed enthusiasm for partnerships that enrich doctoral education and enhance research relevance.

The result was a powerful sense of shared purpose: the PhD as a collaborative endeavour that serves both the advancement of knowledge and the needs of society.

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What happens next

The insights from this discussion will inform the University of Bristol’s ongoing work to shape the future of doctoral education — and may contribute to sector-wide conversations about how the UK can sustain research excellence while preparing graduates for diverse, meaningful careers.

Future steps will include further engagement with industry partners, doctoral training entities, and current students to test and refine these ideas, as well as exploring pilot projects around internships, challenge-based learning, and new assessment formats.

The PhD for the Future roundtable revealed not just an appetite for change, but a readiness to reimagine what it means to do a PhD. In a world where knowledge evolves faster than ever, the doctorate of the future will need to be as dynamic, adaptive, and outward-looking as the people who pursue it.

Read the full PhD for the Future Roundtable Summary

I was thrilled to see that the University of Bristol has been recognised as one of the UK’s leading universities for collaboration, commercialisation, and public engagement, in the latest Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF).

Bristol achieved very high engagement (Quintile 5) in IP and Commercialisation, Working with Business and Working with the Public and Third Sector, alongside high engagement (Quintile 4) in Local Growth and Regeneration, Research Partnerships and Public and Community Engagement. Many of these scores exceed the cluster average and reflect the University’s commitment to turning world-class research into real-world impact.

IP and Commercialisation are central to the University’s strategy and are a key mechanism by which our research and our amazing people make an impact in Bristol, in the UK, and beyond. Since 2011, the University has been instrumental in launching 76 spinout companies, securing over £1.02 billion in equity investment across 177 deals. Notably, these ventures have achieved an impressive £3.85 in value for every £1 raised, underscoring the University’s exceptional efficiency in translating research into impactful businesses. We expect this to continue to grow as we work on raising a new investment fund with QantX and our partners across SetSquared.

To touch on a few recent highlights from the past year:

Purespring Therapeutics closed an oversubscribed Series B financing round of £80m to support its pipeline including the initiation of a Phase I/II clinical trial for IgA Nephropathy (IgAN), a common, chronic kidney disease primarily affecting young adults.

Ceryx Medical closed a funding round bring their total raised to $15 million. The investment marks a major milestone in Ceryx’s mission to revolutionise cardiac care with intelligent, adaptive pacing technology. The company’s lead product is currently undergoing clinical evaluation. Early results from the ongoing study are highly encouraging, showing the potential to significantly enhance patient recovery following cardiac surgery.

Phasecraft, the world’s leading quantum algorithms company, raised $34 million in Series B funding to accelerate its breakthrough work to transform quantum computing’s theoretical promise into practical applications. Its unique algorithms are hardware-agnostic, and partnerships with leaders such as Google Quantum AI, IBM, Quantinuum, and QuEra are enabling the company to push even faster towards quantum advantage.

Over the past few years, we have also seen very significant growth in social venture spinouts. Examples include Good Grief Festival CiC, which was set up to accelerate their inclusive platforms that foster education, support and engagement to support grieving people, The Circular Agriculture Hub was set up to help farmer sell surplus produce to community based buyers including food banks, social supermarket and small food producers across the UK.

Working with business is something that the University values very highly. Collaboration with companies is a vital route by which we get our research and innovation into the hands of people who can use them to deliver improved goods and services. We have dedicated teams to help businesses to access research expertise through contract research, consultancy and collaborative projects. For example, a national award-winning Knowledge Transfer Partnership with Bristol-based HelloBio is helping deliver affordable, high-quality laboratory tools that speed up vital scientific research worldwide. But collaboration with business can go so much further than this, and some of our richest and deepest industry partnerships involve research and other activities such as student placements, graduate opportunities, co-location and co-creation. I’m really excited by the opportunities our flagship building at our new campus at Temple Quarter will bring for more and more collaboration with companies of all sizes. The Temple Quarter Research Hub’s state-of-the-art facilities are already bringing together academics and partners to advance pioneering research into digital and creative technologies, for example, providing skills training for new green screen technologies and how to evaluate audience reactions to the most recent kinds of films.

Working with the Public and Third Sector is also of very high priority to the University and an area of which we are proud – although I confess is an area in which I have personally less expertise! Examples of impact across the city and region include our community hubs: The Barton Hill and Hartcliffe and Withywood Micro-campuses bring the university to local neighbourhoods, supporting projects from trauma-informed translation practices to innovative new skills training, helping people to gain new micro-qualifications.

Juxtapose these with the core businesses that I think most people think of when they think of a University – teaching our incredible students, delivering exceptionally high quality research, being one of the largest employers in our great city – illustrates some of the breadth of what a modern University is expected to, and must, deliver. It makes a university like ours a great place to work, a melting pot of ideas, energy and innovation, and a driver for economic growth.

By Michele Barbour

Today, I had the pleasure of catching up with Manda Baynes, Innovation Officer at the University of Bristol. She shared insights into her role and the various activities she engages in to foster innovation and enterprise across the university. 

A Day in the Life of an Innovation Officer 

As an Innovation Officer, Manda works on a wide range of enterprise and innovation initiatives. One of her biggest commitments is end-to-end support of the University Enterprise Fellowship and Early Career Enterprise Fellowship schemes, ensuring that prospective and active fellows have access to clear guidance and advice. She is also involved in organising and coordinating activities such as Enterprise Sessions and Masterclasses. Her role has a quantitative, reporting dimension, assisting with the drafting of annual monitoring statements for Higher Education Innovation Funding (HEIF), and a communications and culture dimension, engaging in internal projects such as the recent “telling stories within DREI”, an initiative to help colleagues better understand the different roles, teams and priorities across a large division. In addition, Manda also currently leads on a UEIC <University Enterprise and Innovation Committee> project exploring and mapping enterprise and innovation training opportunities available for UoB researchers, with the aim to ensure they have the resources and training they need to realise their ambitions. 

“No day is like another, which is what I love,” she says, highlighting the variety and excitement in her job. 

The Joy of Working with People 

One of Manda’s favourite aspects of the role is working with people. She enjoys collaborating with researchers across different faculties and helping them navigate the complexities of University processes. Her previous experience in the School of Chemistry gave her a particularly subject-focussed perspective, and in this role she has enjoyed getting to grips with a much wider range of disciplinary specific needs, allowing her to broaden her perspective and the impact of her work. 

“I am a real people person,” she explains. “Working with the fellowships and seeing the impact we have not just locally but on a larger scale is incredible.” 

Manda particularly helps researchers and Enterprise Fellows understand and navigate University processes, provides a friendly face and a listening ear, and connecting them with the right resources and people. Whether it’s answering logistical questions or linking prospective fellows with current ones, she is there to facilitate and support. 

“I help facilitate processes and provide support,” she says. “Sometimes, I’m just a friendly ear for them to check in with and make sure they know how the various systems and processes work” 

Building a Community 

Manda also emphasises the importance of building a community among the Enterprise Fellows. She encourages current and previous fellows to support one another and those interested in applying for fellowships in the future. Additionally, she organises yearly gatherings where all the fellows can meet, share their work, and discuss challenges and building strong sense of mutual support and enthusiasm. 

“It’s like a mini enterprise community,” she notes. “It’s fabulous to be part of and to encourage.” 

Defining Success 

For Manda, success is seeing the researchers and fellows she supports flourish. Watching their ideas develop into actions and outcomes is really satisfying. 

“Seeing the tangible impact we’re having is really fulfilling,” she says. “It’s exciting to see acorns grow into small saplings – and perhaps, in time, into mighty oaks!” 

What’s next on the Enterprise and Innovation Blog?

Manda and I (plus the rest of our wonderful team) are hard at work gearing up for the Festival of Enterprise later this year, with our Enterprise Roadshows and Masterclasses in full swing across University campus too.

Our University Enterprise Fellows and Early Career Enterprise Fellows are busy too! You’ll be able to hear from them at this year’s Festival of Enterprise, but keep an eye on this blog over the next couple of months as I sit down with them and find out more about what they’re up to and how our schemes are supporting their activities.

Until then!

By Michele Barbour

I am delighted to announce our 2025 Early Career Enterprise Fellowship (ECEF) awards! ECEFs are postgraduate research students (PGRs) who wish to explore the commercial applications of their research, and the scheme provides training, time buyout, resource, and specialist support to help our busy PGRs delve into the intersection of academia and industry.

This is our second cohort of Early Career Enterprise Fellows, following the success of our pilot last year. I couldn’t be prouder of both the successful applicants and all those who applied, and it’s exciting to see the appetite for schemes such as this. Read on to hear more about this year’s ECEFs and their focus areas!

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Chimwemwe Miti

Being awarded an opportunity to receive dedicated support to transform a bright research idea into a commercial product is a life-long aspiration. Truly timely, the Early Career Enterprise Fellowship will lay the requisite foundation necessary to explore the digitisation of a much needed NHS service. I look forward to the training and eventual showcase of what will be, as a result of this fantastic fellowship, a commercial-ready product. My supervisor and I are extremely grateful to the panel of judges for the award.

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Sutharsanan Navaratnarajah

I am honoured to receive this fellowship to advance my research toward commercialisation. I aim to develop a design workflow as a foundation for an origami-based software tool to create defect-free, foldable composite components.

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Weiyi Li

I am deeply honoured to be awarded the Early Career Enterprise Fellowship at the University of Bristol. This opportunity not only recognises the potential impact of my PhD research on surgical training simulators but also provides invaluable support to advance its commercialisation and intellectual property development. Through this fellowship, I aim to develop the engineering prototype and translate my work into practical solutions that address critical needs in medical training, ultimately helping doctors to understand surgical scenario. I am more than excited to participate in the fellowship, discover potential commercialisation opportunities, and contribute to bridging the gap between academic research and real-world applications.

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Henry Hickson

I am very excited to have been accepted for the 2025 ECEF scheme! I am looking forward to developing my business skills and learning how to commercialise and apply research to real-world challenges. This will be an exciting step in our journey towards using swarm robotics for good for a whole host of applications.

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Ziyu Meng

I am pleased to receive this ECEF opportunity. I have worked in three laboratories during the past seven years and accumulated many lab-work experience. However, I am always curious about how lab-stage technology is ultimately transformed into industrial applications. This project gives me an opportunity to re-examine my topic from the perspective of practical application and explore ways to create actual value. Through this project, I aim to transform my chemistry robotic platform system into a commercial application. I would like to gain essential commercialization knowledge and skills to commercialize it smoothly.

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Carolina Gaudenzi 

As a PhD student with an interest in the commercialisation of science, I am very excited for the opportunity to explore the possible applications of my research outside of academia. Organoids are “organs in a dish” derived from human stem cells, and recapitulate many of the complex, dimensional dynamics which cannot be achieved with traditional cell culture. They furnish a revolutionary new medium for the personalisation of medicine, the refinement of disease modelling, as well as the testing of novel therapeutics. I hope that through our work on the optimisation and upscaling of organoid production, we will be able to offer valuable services to both the academic and private biotechnology sector.

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Umeir Khan

I am excited to be further developing my skillset and taking a proactive step in engaging with enterprise! By the end of the fellowship, I aim to have (a) gained an understanding as to how I can translate academic research to industry, and (b) apply this knowledge to advance the route to commercialisation for my innovation in composites.

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Christopher Yi

I am privileged and grateful to be awarded the Early Career Enterprise Fellowship, which aims to support the commercialisation of ideas generated in our research projects. The ECEF will facilitate my exploration of an innovative concept for room scale air filtration, wherein I will develop a technical demonstrator whilst acquiring a holistic understanding of research commercialisation.

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I wish you all every success in your ECEF journeys, and I’m sure I speak for plenty of people across the University when I say we’re looking forward to hearing more about your experiences at the 2025 Festival of Enterprise!

In other news, our 2024/25 University Enterprise Fellows are hard at work exploring commercial applications of their research, and we’ll be announcing our 2025/26 cohort very soon. Watch this space!

By Michele Barbour

It’s not long now before I will be able to announce the University Early Career Enterprise Fellows for 2025. Exciting times!

It seems a great time therefore to share another of our 2024 ECEF stories, this time from our School of Education. Nick Gray, PhD and his colleagues developed a product called Tabletop Travels, which is a box containing sensory experiences that transports the recipient to exotic places. Their target market is older adults, who may be unable to travel themselves. I saw the Tabletop Travels product for myself at the Festival of Enterprise last year and could so easily picture what a lovely experience it would be for people in my own circle who for one reason or another are unable to travel and can suffer from isolation.

When asked how he had found the ECEF experience, Nick commented:

“The ECEF enabled me to understand so much more about the commercial possibilities available to our fledgling social enterprise. With this training and support, I was able to contribute effectively to a marketing strategy that really helped us get Tabletop Travels (https://lnkd.in/eSStZwbu) noticed. This work will stand us in good stead as we take our product to market in the next few months. Even though our multisensory travel box for older adults was something of an outlier among the amazing AI and engineering innovations of the other fellows, I always felt that our business mentors recognised its value. The whole fellowship has give me the impetus to push forward with the commercialisation of our idea and we look forward to our first batch of product going out to customers in the coming months. Thank you to all our business trainers and the other fellows for their encouragement, support and friendship.”

When we talk about academic entrepreneurship we often jump straight to the tech innovation – and with good cause, there is much amazing, exciting and impactful innovation across digital, quantum, AI, life sciences, and other sectors. But we mustn’t forget the impact academic enterprise can have in social enterprise and social value, and Nick and his colleagues’ work is a wonderful example of this.

By chance I processed at graduation last week and who was on the front row but Nick himself! Congratulations on your PhD graduate Dr Gray and looking forward to see what you and the Tabletop Travels team do next.

By Michele Barbour

The Early Career Enterprise Fellowship (ECEF) provides training, time buyout, resource, and specialist support to a postgraduate research student who wishes to explore the commercial applications of their research.

Applications for this academic year’s scheme are now open, and more information including the training offered, time commitments and the application form is available on our ECEF webpage. The scheme, not too dissimilarly to my role, sits at the intersection of innovation and academia. It’s an exciting opportunity to explore the commercialisation of research and pick up skills that will be useful for a future career, academic or otherwise.

Don’t just take my word for it, though.  Following last month’s blog post, I recently caught up with another of our 2023-24 ECEF cohort to hear about their experiences. Read on to find out more, and I hope you’re inspired to consider the Early Career Enterprise Fellowship!

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Elena Fillola Mayoral

Elena is a PhD candidate in AI for Climate, and her research revolves around using AI to speed up greenhouse gas emissions reporting and validation. When reflecting on her experiences of our inaugural ECEF scheme, Elena shared these comments.

“Receiving the Early Careers Enterprise Fellowship (ECEF) has provided me with a new perspective on my research, particularly in terms of practical application and scalability. I explored how our system to infer greenhouse gas emissions could be implemented as a cloud-based solution and made accessible to a wide range of users, as well as researched the wider emission monitoring sector to better understand our technology’s role. The training was invaluable to learn more about the commercialisation journey and to define objectives for our potential enterprise. On top of this, I received six months of university-funded incubation support from SetSquared, an exciting opportunity to work with their team and Entrepreneurs in residence to continue shaping our path to deployment!”

We’re so pleased that Elena found the ECEF experience beneficial and are excited to see how her research and entrepreneurial journey continues!

By Michele Barbour

First piloted in 23/24, the Early Career Enterprise Fellowship (ECEF) provides training, time buyout, resource, and specialist support to a postgraduate research student who wishes to explore the commercial applications of their research.

I am very proud of our Early Career Enterprise Fellowship scheme at the University of Bristol. Of course with any new initiative, it’s important to reflect carefully on the outcomes and roll these reflections into future iterations. As such, we are now engaged in seeking feedback from our ECEFs and their doctoral supervisors before we launch for 24/25.

Ahead of the launch of our 24/25 ECEF scheme next week, I spoke to two of this year’s cohort to understand the challenges and opportunities the scheme gave them. Read on to learn more about their experiences, and keep an eye out for the launch of our 24/25 ECEF scheme on the University of Bristol website!

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James Uzzell 

James was one of our inaugural Early Career Enterprise Fellows. James, who is a PhD student in Advanced Composites in the EPSRC CoSEM CDT – Composites Science, Engineering and Manufacturing, used his fellowship as a means to advance the Technology Readiness Level of a dynamic induction coil for energy efficient composite manufacturing. When asked about his experiences, James shared:

“The ECEF was a fantastic opportunity that allowed me to shift my focus away from my PhD research and towards exploring the potential for industry application and commercialisation of technology that I had been developing. The time spent thinking about my work outside of a purely academic standpoint helped me to gain a much better perspective on how my research can fit into the larger world. Beyond this, the time spent hearing from and speaking to founders of technical startups within SETsquared was very useful in gaining an insight into what is required to get research from the lab into a commercial enterprise. Since the ECEF we have been able to apply for further research funding, explore IP protection and make wider industrial connections.”

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Jennifer Dumle Daniel

Jennifer is a PhD candidate in Innovation and Entrepreneurship and works closely with Dr Lucy Kelly, Associate Professor in Education, on The Diary Toolkit: an innovative initiative to support teachers in the workplace. Looking to scale and commercialise her approach and expand the reach and impact of the Toolkit, Jennifer said of her ECEF experience:

“The ECEF fellowship was a transformative opportunity for me at The Diary Toolkit. It provided crucial insights into commercialising our product and exposed me to successful entrepreneurs, from whom I gained valuable knowledge about scaling our business. On a personal level, the ECEF has connected me with researchers across the wider university network, fostering greater collaboration and potential innovation. The ECEF has been instrumental in shaping both The Diary Toolkit’s business trajectory and my own professional growth. The skills, knowledge, and connections gained through this fellowship have positioned us to make a meaningful impact in the industry while opening doors for exciting research collaborations.”

By Michele Barbour

The University Enterprise Fellowship scheme provide resource, tailored support, and protected time to selected academics for a broad scope of enterprise undertakings that could include a patent, a spinout, a partnership relationship, or a consultancy.

It is with very great pleasure that I announce the University Enterprise Fellows for 24/25!

Our six new University Enterprise Fellows will be using their Fellowships to explore commercialisation of their research outputs and build new networks with industry and investors. You can read more about their plans and aspirations below.

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Dr Richard Helyer

I am excited to have been awarded a University Enterprise Fellowship. This will allow me to engage with potential partners to bring our initiatives in using human patient simulation for undergraduate teaching to the wider healthcare education community.

Human patient simulation brought about a step change in healthcare education allowing learners to experience patients, trauma, disease and treatment in a safe environment and at scale. We have extended its use to teaching essential concepts of physiology, such as how the body responds to blood loss, and pharmacology, for example how drugs affect function of organs in the whole body, to early years undergraduates. Our approach has received considerable interest from other institutions and potential commercial partners who agree that improving the understanding of key scientific concepts brings about more effective and safer practice for healthcare professionals. The resources provided by this fellowship will allow me to explore the best direction in which to take our work with potential partners, for the benefit of students everywhere that are our future healthcare scientists and professionals.

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Professor Iain Gilchrist

I am overjoyed to be awarded this fellowship. For the last 10 years we have been working on ways to objectively measure, in real time, the responses of audiences to creative content (including film, television and live theatre). We have known for some time that there is significant commercial interest in what we have been doing and this fellowship will give me the time, and focus, to really understand the market for our work and learn about the best way to deliver these new products to commercial partners and customers.

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Professor Nicholas Howden

I am delighted to receive this University Enterprise Fellowship, as it will allow me to translate my research into real-world impact. Creating new tools to help solve practical problems is at the core of engineering, and the UEF will provide key support, expertise and industrial contacts to develop such tools.

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Dr Robert Sharples

It’s a privilege to join the University Enterprise Fellows this year. I will use the fellowship to develop specialist programmes for international students, making sure that they have the best possible opportunity to thrive at university. I will be working with groups of students around the country, as well as their lecturers and university leaders, to create prototype resources and measure the impact they have on students’ learning and wellbeing.

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Dr Rebecca Shepherd

I am thrilled to be awarded the University Enterprise Fellowship.

This opportunity will help me turn my research into real-world applications by setting up a commercial ivory identification service, demonstrating the impact of research beyond academia.

 

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Dr Lucy Cramp

I’m really thrilled to have received this University Enterprise Fellowship. It gives me the opportunity to immerse myself in re-modelling our commercial offering of organic residue analysis at the University of Bristol. This is a complementary approach for reconstructing ancient dietary patterns from molecular traces in pottery vessels that can now be a routine part of the post-excavation toolkit across the heritage sector, from commercial units to museums and independent specialists. I am particularly excited to have the opportunity to integrate this offering with our new, cross-faculty AHRC Centre for Chemical Characterisation in Heritage Science, for which we have just been awarded £1M in funding to establish. From 2026, this will enable users from across the UK heritage community to access our facilities and expertise in mass spectrometric and stable isotope approaches in the heritage sciences.

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I’d like to wish the best to all of this year’s University Enterprise Fellows, and I speak for all of us when I say we’re looking forward to hearing more about their experiences!