Royce Workshop: Commercialisation for Materials Scientists, in Oxford

After a successful debut event at Imperial College London earlier this year, a new edition of the Royce workshop on Entrepreneurship will be taking place at the University of Oxford.

This workshop will engage the next generation of materials science researchers and future entrepreneurs. It will equip participants with knowledge of the commercialisation process and steps needed to successfully progress a new material from research to product. The content will cover identifying and managing intellectual property; commercialisation skills development, access to funding, and support available through university technology transfer offices.

The content offers participants an opportunity to better understand how material products are developed through the commercial process. It will provide a chance to explore the development potential of their own research, and the skills and expertise they would need to gain to succeed.

Knowledge of entrepreneurship routes and processes is increasingly important for materials science researchers in the UK as it provides early opportunities to meet with industrial partners and other stakeholders.  As the UK’s national institute for advanced materials research Royce is keen to help researchers learn about the innovation and commercialisation landscape and make them aware of the support available. While most HEIs have provision for researchers to access information and guidance on commercialisation at the institution, it may not always be materials science focused or chart a clear path through what can be a complicated process.

This workshop, therefore, will aim to give researchers in materials science access to materials-specific advice on what to do if they have promising research that may have the potential for commercialisation.

This workshop is aimed at later stage (2nd, 3rd and 4th year) PhD students in materials science who are interested in learning about innovation and the commercialisation of research. Participants might be seeking to understand more about the possibilities of start-up companies and entrepreneurship or be already starting out on the path.

Priority registration will be given to students at the University of Oxford and nearby universities, such as Oxford Brookes, Cambridge or Imperial College.

Royce is not able to offer reimbursement for travel to this event. To make these workshops accessible, there is a similar event being run at the University of Leeds on Wednesday 2nd October 2024.

In sign-up for both the Oxford and Leeds events, priority will be given to those students with the closest geographic proximity to the host institution.

After the event participants should be able to:

• Explain the main steps in moving novel research from laboratory concept to commercial product
• Detail the steps to progress a company through start-up and how to access development funding
• Appraise their own research and consider the next steps needed towards commercialisation
• Seek further assistance within their own institution, through Royce’s entrepreneurship programmes or via the Knowledge Transfer Network

• Thanasis Georgiou – Research and Business Engagement Manager, Royce
• Nav Dean – Royal Society Entrepreneur in Residence for the University of Oxford (MPLS Division)
• Rebecca Matheson –  Partner, Gill Jennings & Every LLP
• Chandra Sekar Ramanujan – Principal Licensing and Ventures Manager, Oxford University Innovations (OUI)
• Matt Jones – Knowledge Transfer Manager (Quantum Technologies), Innovate UK Business Connect
• George Todd – DeepTech Senior Associate, Oxford Science Enterprises (OSE)
• Roger Reed FREng – Professor of Engineering Science and Materials, University of Oxford and co-founder/CSO, Alloyed

Other speakers will be added as their organisations confirm.

Register: https://www.royce.ac.uk/events/royce-workshop-on-commercialisation-oxford