His Royal Highness The Duke of York visited UMI3 in Manchester earlier this week as part of a visit to the University to learn more about graphene and the University’s successes and challenges in commercialising research and to meet some student technology entrepreneurs. He also visited Nanoco, in the University’s Innovation Centre, as an example of a successful manufacturing spin-out which grew from a proof-of-principle project to a £100M+ stock-market listed company in six years.
Following a tour of the graphene facilities and a lunch hosted by the University President, Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, The Duke of York was greeted at the Innovation Centre by Vice-President for Innovation, Professor Luke Georghiou, and UMI3 CEO, Clive Rowland. His Royal Highness visited UMI3 as part of his desire to see that the UK is recognised as the best place in the world for Science and Engineering.
Clive commented, “It was very encouraging to see how knowledgeable and positively engaged The Duke of York is about research commercialisation and related activities such as student enterprise projects. He is keen to see the University continue to develop its capabilities in this regard and promote its successes and products internationally. He is extremely enthusiastic about the potential of graphene and interested in the different applications and routes to market for it. For those of us who try our best to contribute to the British economy’s industrial leadership through creating entirely new science-based businesses and via licensing of technology enhancements of existing processes and products arising from the University’s top-class research, it’s highly motivating to hear how passionately His Royal Highness offers suggestions to develop our work and how he promotes our cause internationally.”
About UMI3 : UMI3 is The University of Manchester’s Innovation Group. Annually the University assesses some 350 inventions with commercial potential and initiates over 20 new business projects a year. In total its spin-outs attract an average of £10M in third party investment income and it concludes over 30 new licences a year. In collaboration with the technology transfer offices at UCL and The University of Edinburgh, the University’s technology transfer company, UMI3, has just announced a campaign to raise a £150M spin-out seed investment fund “ The Orion Fund”, managed by MTI Partners.
Media Contact : Mr Allan Prits: 0161 606 7240 ( [email protected] ) web www.umi3.com
17 Feb 2012.
