Midlands partnership to drive commercialisation of IP
Eight Midlands universities will work together on a connected system of incubators and accelerators that will drive jobs and economic growth across the region, after being awarded £5m by Research England.
The Midlands Innovation Commercialisation of Research Accelerator (MICRA) will become the largest formal technology transfer collaboration in the UK.
It will provide a single gateway to the collective intellectual property resources from the eight Midlands Innovation universities – Aston, Birmingham, Cranfield, Keele, Leicester, Loughborough, Nottingham and Warwick.
The funding is expected to be a key driver for significant new investment and jobs in the region. The Midlands Innovation universities lay claim to already generating more new inventions and patents per unit of research income than any other leading group of UK universities.
Dr James Wilkie, director of enterprise and innovation at the University of Birmingham, said: “The Midlands of the UK has a strong track record of innovation and tremendous capacity for growth.
“We are very proud to be leading this initiative that brings together our leading universities to provide a single point of contact for investors.”
The MICRA programme will provide support and access for enterprise development, investment and investor relationships to help entrepreneurs.
“Collaborating with strategic partners is crucial,” said Dr Helen Turner, Midlands Innovation Director.
“It allows us to collectively offer a critical mass of innovation for the region and appeal to investors who are seeking long-term investment opportunities.
“Offering a single-route that makes it easy for investors to access opportunities and enhance the support available for growing businesses is highly appealing.
“Attracting large ‘patient capital’ investors who are willing to back new ideas with vision and management talent, and who understand the potential for success will drive new growth businesses and new high value jobs in the UK economy.”
