New enterprise initiative guides Loughborough Professor towards international commercialisation of breast cancer diagnosis training scheme
An initiative launched last Autumn to enhance the University’s enterprise activities through direct engagement between researchers and industry entrepreneurs is already showing promising outcomes. Driven by IPSO Ventures, Loughborough’s IP commercialisation partner, the ‘ExcellENT Programme’ provides practical workshops in parallel with one-to-one meetings with some of the UK’s leading entrepreneurs.
Alastair Gale, head of Loughborough’s Applied Vision Research Centre, is one of the first academics to benefit from an introduction to Pete Magowan, an entrepreneur in the microchip and software sectors. Pete played a key role in growing ARM from spin out to a £3B public company and has lead many early-stage IT companies to successful fundraising and exits.
At his meeting with Pete, Alastair discussed how his research has led to the development of a self-assessment and training programme in collaboration with the NHS Breast Screening Programme designed to help maintain and improve radiologists’ success rate for early detection of breast cancer. This project has earned Alastair’s team endorsement from the Royal College of Radiologists and one of the University’s inaugural Enterprise Awards.
Pete brought his considerable experience of technology-based business, including software and web-based commerce, to bear on the challenge of commercialising Alastair’s programme internationally. This is being explored further with Loughborough’s Enterprise Office and there has already been interest from Germany, Australia, China and the US. Pete has also been able to introduce a fellow entrepreneur from the healthcare sector, and alongside IPSO they are working with Alastair and the team to develop the programme as a commercial prospect.
“Making new collaborations and evolving plans for taking highly valuable innovations to the global marketplace are what the ExcellENT Programme is all about,” says Tim Carter of IPSO Ventures. Professor Phill Dickens, Pro Vice Chancellor Enterprise adds: “I am delighted that the ExcellENT programme is helping optimise the commercial potential of the University’s research portfolio. I hope to see many similar scenarios playing out across the departments of the University.”
For more on the Programme and IPSO Entrepreneurs, visit www.ipsoventures.com/entrepreneurs or contact Binnie Tsui on 020 7921 2990