Technology Transfer
We have a particularly demanding role helping to ensure the long-term competitiveness of the UK agri-food industry - working in collaboration with companies, often funded by Government schemes designed to drive economic impact, but with advances always grounded in academic excellence. The possibilities include 1:1 projects, studentships, LINK projects, licensing arrangements or joint business ventures.
Please contact us for further information or confidential discussions. We can discuss mutually beneficial intellectual property arrangements.
Dr Reg Wilson, Head of IFR Innovation ( reg.wilson@bbsrc.ac.uk ) Tel: +44 (0)1603 255210
We work in partnership with Plant Biosciences Ltd (PBL) as our preferred technology transfer partner. The majority of our intellectual property is assigned to PBL and exploited by them on our behalf.
Exploitation of science at IFR
IFR scientists are encouraged to be entrepreneurial. Part of our strategy is to define a small number of activities that offer good potential for commercial development - ‘Exploitation platforms’.
The National Collection of Yeast Cultures and Food Databanks are National Resource activities based around critical resources established or developed at IFR whose maintenance is of national strategic importance. Both these unique areas are partially self-sustaining through the marketing and supply of services and information.
Some activities have an applied science agenda. Sustainability of the Food Chain contributes to local initiates (Innovation in non-food crops) and the Sustainable Agriculture and Land Use challenge.
Technology activities are focused on the exploitation of technical developments and are some way down the road to spin-out. The Dynamic Gastric Model is a good example of this approach. Developed by Dr Martin Wickham and colleagues, it simulates human digestion from a true physiological perspective. The device, made from sophisticated plastics and metals, can withstand corrosive gut acids and enzymes, and can be fed real food. Interest in this model from companies world-wide is being managed with PBL support.
Fax: +44(0)1603 507723