In the ever-evolving economic landscape, fostering collaboration between academics and industry professionals has become more critical so that groundbreaking innovations can be brought forward from lab to market.
This is where the Venture Alliances comes in, an initiative powered by the ENVISIONAlliances project. The initiative is holding a matchmaking event between 21 and 23 November for researchers and businesses looking to exploit the potential of research commercialisation. There’s only a total of 40 spots available for businesses and 40 spots for researchers, so sign up fast before they’re all taken up!
What happens when you register?
Once we have received your registration, you or your business will be paired with an academic, based on the information you’ve given in the registration form. This way, each registrant will have a pair. In some cases, a registrant will be matched in more than one pair!
What happens during the matchmaking event?
The matchmaking event takes place across three days, however each day is played out effectively the same way. First off, there is a session explaining how matchmaking works, what are the different types of collaboration that can be expected between businesses and academics.
It will feature breakout rooms in which the different pairs made up of industry and academia are sent to in order to discuss their collaboration, and they will be guided by a mentor who will guide the process. The mentor will help by enabling the potential partners to explore different ways of working together, and how best the two sides can utilise their talents and capabilities.
Discussions will take place in a meet & greet style, enabling the potential partners to break the ice and start developing a professional rapport between themselves.
If the two sides of a match see an opportunity for collaboration between themselves, then they can start working together! If not, then they would be matched with someone else.
What happens after the matchmaking event?
When the next step is taken and there is potential for collaboration between an academic and a business, then the mentor will help them begin the Entrepreneurial Residency Programme (ERP).
There are three main types of working together which can be explored, depending on the capabilities, needs and aspirations of the potential partners:
- Innovative academic: Here the academic has an innovation at the proof-of-concept stage, with potential to be launched into an entrepreneurial venture. Together with the business partner they would work together on technological R&D, elevating their technological readiness level (TLR), while bringing into focus the commercial aspect.
- Technology issue or goal: The entrepreneur or business has a technology problem or product goal. The academic is given access to company resources to work on tech development while receiving expertise in practical aspects of productisation, marketing, customer focus, resourcing and starting-up/running a high-tech enterprise.
- The collaborative approach: This involves the labour market actors presenting a case or market problem.The academic-business match unit works together to address it.
Ultimately, our goal is the creation of joint ventures that will stimulate the next generation of high-tech products and services for society.
So sign up to our upcoming 3-day matchmaking event taking place between 21st and 23rd November!