Birmingham City University welcomes the publication of the Independent Review of University Spin Outs and substantively adopts the best practice guidance, whilst working towards full adoption by 2025 through alignment with university policies and processes.
Posted 03 July 2024
The report, published in November 2023 and authored by Professor Irene Tracey CBE, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford and Dr Andrew Williamson, Managing Partner of Cambridge Innovation Capital, set out 11 recommendations designed to support the growth of university spin-out companies, and to help the UK establish itself as a world-leader in innovation
Birmingham City University plays an active role in underpinning a world-leading innovation ecosystem, contributing to economic growth and productivity. The University places focus on practice-led education, academic excellence, applied research and innovation. It’s led by the needs of regional industry, committed to discovering new knowledge and delivering real benefit to culture, industry, society and the environment.
By bringing together Arts and STEM disciplines through a focus on the Government-backed STEAM agenda, BCU enables students to study and work across formal discipline boundaries, ensuring they have the attributes needed for future careers.
In October 2022, the £70m 100k sq.ft STEAMhouse collaborative innovation campus was opened – a physical embodiment of the institutional STEAM approach, building capacity for extensive knowledge exchange to facilitate innovation across student, academic, business and stakeholder communities.
With dedicated facilities including product development, maker space, business incubation, and specialist AR/VR discovery services; and through working with interdisciplinary research partnerships, STEAMhouse has bridged a regional gap in provision to drive innovative solutions to complex societal challenges, using science, digital transformation and creativity to underpin progress.
In 2021, the University secured the Investor in Innovation standard from the Institute for Innovation and Knowledge Exchange (IKE) in recognition of its work with businesses and partners to drive innovation and growth - just the second university in the country to be handed the accreditation.
BCU’s established innovation ecosystem and associated policies and processes demonstrates strong levels of alignment with the practical recommendations from the Review and, once fully adopted, will serve to further develop and drive growth of the University’s spin out portfolio.
To read the full report into university spin-out companies visit the UK Government website.
