Morning, Monday, 25th January 2027
Online
This conference will consider next steps for university spin-outs and commercialisation in the UK. Areas for discussion include access to proof-of-concept and scale-up finance, the role of technology transfer and commercialisation support, investment in strategic technologies, and how to support research-based companies to scale and retain economic value in the UK.
It will bring together stakeholders and policymakers to examine priorities for strengthening the pathway from research discovery and intellectual property generation to company formation, investment and commercial growth, in the context of implementation of recommendations from the Independent Review of University Spin-out Companies, and following the Hickson Review of university-investor links. Delegates will discuss how universities, investors, founders, government, public funders and industry can improve university-investor relationships, address barriers around commercialisation expertise and finance, and support research-based companies to move from early-stage ventures towards sustainable growth.
The agenda will assess the role of UKRI, including Innovate UK and Research England in supporting commercialisation pathways, with discussion on the UKRI Strategy 2026-2031, the UKRI Delivery Plan 2026-2027, new proof-of-concept support, the Innovate UK Venture Builder pilot and reforms to Higher Education Innovation Funding in England. Attendees will consider implementation of the planned refresh of UKRI’s IP policies, whether new measures can address longstanding challenges around the transition from research funding to private investment, and how universities, technology transfer offices and investors can strengthen support for academic founders and emerging companies.
Further sessions will examine approaches to supporting spin-outs in strategic areas such as AI, engineering biology, advanced manufacturing and other emerging technologies, and helping university-originated innovations attract investment, scale internationally and retain economic value in the UK. The conference will discuss the availability of growth capital, including the role of institutional investment and emerging scale-up finance initiatives, regional disparities in access to investment and commercialisation expertise, the potential role of shared technology transfer models and innovation clusters, and how reform can balance entrepreneurial incentives, investor expectations, public value and the long-term commercialisation missions of universities. Delegates will also consider how far the focus should shift from the number of spin-outs created towards developing globally competitive companies.
Overall areas for discussion include:
- spin-out reform & university-investor relationships:
- implementation of the Independent Review of University Spin-out Companies and Hickson Review - IP, licensing and equity arrangements - speed of deal-making - commercialisation practice
- research translation & company formation:
- pathways from academic discovery and IP to investable companies - role of TTOs, founders and specialist support - entrepreneurial skills and incentives for researchers
- commercialisation finance & scale-up:
- bridging gaps between proof-of-concept, early investment and growth capital - support from UKRI, Innovate UK, venture funds and institutional investors
- supporting spin-outs to become globally competitive companies - access to later-stage investment, international expansion, job creation - retaining high-value activity in the UK
- strategic technologies & industrial growth:
- supporting spin-outs in AI, engineering biology, advanced manufacturing and other emerging sectors - attracting investment and building high-growth companies
- links between academia, investors and industry - sector-specific accelerators and industry partnerships
- regional ecosystems & commercialisation capacity:
- access to expertise, networks and investment beyond established innovation hubs - potential of shared technology transfer models and regional approaches
- long-term value & stakeholder priorities:
- translating publicly funded research into sustainable economic impact - long-term capacity - balancing founder incentives, investor expectations and university returns
