.jpg)
Research Commercialisation
Great research changes the way we understand the world. Commercialisation helps change the world around us.
Research creates its greatest value when knowledge moves beyond the university and reaches the people, organisations and communities that can benefit from it. Commercialisation helps make that happen.
It is not about placing income ahead of academic purpose. It is about exploring how research can create practical, social, environmental and economic value, and identifying the most appropriate route to maximise its impact.
Whether you have developed a new technology, software application, dataset, design, process, educational resource or specialist expertise, the Enterprise team can help you explore opportunities and turn research into real-world impact.
Why Commercialisation Matters
Research creates knowledge. Commercialisation helps that knowledge move into practical use.
Commercialisation is about maximising the value of research. It is sometimes misunderstood as being mainly about generating revenue or creating companies. While financial returns can occasionally support further research and development, they are not the main purpose.
Commercialisation is about helping valuable research achieve its greatest possible benefit - identifying useful research outcomes early, protecting the knowledge and intellectual assets behind them, and finding the most effective route for them to reach the people, organisations and communities that can benefit.
Protection is not intended to restrict academic research or prevent knowledge from being shared. It helps preserve the quality, integrity and identity of a research outcome as it moves into wider use. Without it, an outcome can be copied, changed or implemented inconsistently, and it can become difficult to measure the value being created or attract investment for further development.
Commercialisation creates a structure through which research can be:
- >Developed without losing its quality or purpose
- >Implemented consistently and responsibly
- >Validated in real-world settings
- >Supported by appropriate partners and investment
- >Scaled sustainably
- >Evaluated through measurable outcomes
- >Made accessible to more people over a longer period
Every innovation is different. The most appropriate route may involve licensing, collaboration, consultancy, software deployment, public-sector adoption, a spinout company - or another carefully managed pathway.
Our aim is not to commercialise every research project. Our aim is to help every innovation realise its greatest potential for creating value.
Get in Touch
Could your research have wider value?
Innovation comes in many forms. If your research has the potential to solve a problem, improve practice or benefit others beyond academia, we'd like to hear from you.
Research can create value in many different ways, and not all opportunities begin with a finished product or a patentable invention. Your work may have commercial or wider impact potential if you have developed a new product, material, technology, process, software tool, dataset, database, design, service, training resource - or a new way of solving a real-world problem. Your research does not need to be complete, and you do not need to know the commercial route before contacting us.
Technology & inventions
Software & data
Designs & creative work
Methods & tools
Training & educational resources
Social & service innovation
Specialist knowledge & know-how
Why Engage Early?
The best time to start is often while the research is still developing.
Early engagement helps ensure that the potential benefits of your research are identified, tested and developed in a credible way. You do not need a finished product, business plan or clear commercial route before contacting the Enterprise team - in many cases, early engagement offers the greatest flexibility to shape the opportunity.
Speaking with Enterprise does not commit you to filing a patent, creating a company or changing your academic plans. It allows you to explore the opportunity confidentially, challenge assumptions and make informed decisions. This early review is a form of quality assurance - it helps distinguish between an interesting idea and a well-supported opportunity with clear, achievable benefits.
It is never too early to engage with Enterprise. Early conversations help protect future options and ensure potential benefits are credible, achievable and supported by evidence.
Working with Enterprise early can help to:
- >Identify valuable intellectual property
- >Assess whether proposed benefits are realistic and evidence-based
- >Test assumptions about users, markets and real-world need
- >Strengthen the quality and credibility of impact claims
- >Identify what further evidence, testing or validation may be required
- >Consider technical, regulatory and commercial risks
- >Avoid public disclosure that could limit future protection
- >Identify suitable partners, funding and development routes
- >Ensure the opportunity is ready for external engagement
The Commercialisation Journey
From early idea to real-world impact
Every opportunity moves at its own pace, but most follow a similar shape.
1
Discovery
An idea, research result or area of expertise shows potential to create value outside academia.
2
Identification and Disclosure
Potentially valuable research outputs are identified and discussed confidentially with the Innovation and Commercialisation team. An Innovation Disclosure enables us to understand the opportunity, consider intellectual property requirements and explore the most appropriate support.
3
Assessment and Translation Planning
Working collaboratively with you, we assess the innovation, its intellectual property, potential applications, routes to impact, development requirements and associated risks. The objective is to understand the opportunity and identify the most appropriate next steps—not to commit to a particular commercial outcome.
4
Development and De-risking
Where appropriate, we support activities that increase the readiness of the innovation for adoption or investment. This may include, intellectual property protection, proof-of-concept work, prototype development, market exploration, translational funding or collaborative development with external partners.
5
Route Selection
Using the evidence gathered during development, we work with you to identify the route that offers the greatest opportunity for long-term impact. Depending on the innovation, this may include licensing, the formation of a spinout company, public-sector adoption, strategic partnerships or a hybrid approach.
6
Agreements and Commercialisation
Once a route has been selected, we work with you and any external partners to develop appropriate agreements that support successful implementation. This may include licence agreements, collaboration agreements, consultancy arrangements or spinout formation, structured to support long-term success.
7
Long-term Impact Growth and Stewardship
Commercialisation is not the end of the journey. We continue to support the management of intellectual property, partnerships and future opportunities for development. Success is measured by the lasting value created through research, including sustained adoption, follow-on innovation, stronger partnerships, improved practice and wider societal, economic and environmental impact.
Get Started
What happens after you contact us?
Every opportunity is different. The process below will be adapted to the needs of the research and the people involved.
01
Tell us about your research
Complete the Innovation Disclosure form or contact the Enterprise team for an initial conversation. At this stage, your idea does not need to be fully developed.
02
Initial review
We review the research, its development stage, potential applications, contributors, existing funding and any planned publications or external discussions.
03
Explore the opportunity
We consider the problem it could solve, who may benefit, existing alternatives, IP and ownership, and possible partners and routes.
04
Agree the next steps
This may involve further research, IP protection, market engagement, proof-of-concept funding, prototyping or partner discussions.
05
Develop the opportunity
Where appropriate, we support development towards licensing, partnership, consultancy, investment, adoption or spinout creation.
Protecting Valuable Knowledge
Research can create different forms of intellectual property.
This may include inventions, software, designs, data, written materials, technical knowledge, confidential methods, branding and other original outputs. Protection does not always mean applying for a patent - the most appropriate approach depends on the nature of the research and how it is expected to be used. Depending on the opportunity, protection may involve:
- >Patents
- >Copyright
- >Registered or unregistered designs
- >Trademarks
- >Database rights
- >Confidentiality agreements
- >Contracts
- >Controlled access to specialist knowledge or data
Before You Publish or Present
Public disclosure can affect the ability to protect your work.
A disclosure may include publishing a journal article, presenting at a conference, displaying a poster, submitting an abstract, publishing a thesis online, sharing information on a website or social media, discussing confidential details with an external organisation, or demonstrating a prototype publicly.
This does not mean that research findings should not be published. It means that potential intellectual property should be considered before publication so that protection and academic dissemination can be planned together.
If you are preparing to publish or present work that may have commercial potential, contact the Enterprise team as early as possible.
