ExcellENT Workshop Times and Subjects
The ExcellENT interactive Workshops will be held in the Innovation Centre on campus through mid May to mid June from 10am until 2pm. They will be lead by IPSO Directors and other senior business experts, plus guest speakers. Clive Weatherby - the entrepreneur, will be attending and speaking at the first workshop. Following each workshop there will be an opportunity to meet and chat with the presenters and speakers over a buffet lunch which will be provided. They are designed for small groups of researchers, so please register early by emailing Binnie Tsui.
More information about what to expect and how you will benefit can be found here
The ExcellENT Workshop Programme is as follows:
Workshop 1
Friday 21st May at 10am till 12pm in the Loughborough Innovation Centre
“What does Industry want? – A Guide to the Dark Side”
This workshop will give participants an insight into how industry thinks and what sorts of projects, ideas or partnerships they generally find to be of value. It illustrates how industry - rightly or wrongly - perceives Universities and academia, quoting directly from senior industry insiders. It covers the benefits of interacting with industry and the various forms this could take, and equips participants with the knowledge required to engage in a mutually beneficial way.
Workshop 2
Friday 28th May at 11am till 2pm in the Loughborough Innovation Centre
“Research to reward – the early steps”
This workshop will give participants an insight into what can happen in the early stages of commercialisation of a project. It outlines the processes and options available, considers the roles of researchers and the University, and covers both benefits and potential pitfalls in order to illustrate how commercialisation can compliment research activities rather than conflict.
Workshop 3
Friday 4th June at 11am till 2pm in the Loughborough Innovation Centre
“Proving your Idea Commercially”
This workshop compares and contrasts the aims of technical proof of concept with commercial proof of concept, and puts this in the context of the overall commercialisation pathway. The concepts of ‘marketability’ and 'manufacturability' are looked at, as well as how to carry out market research needed to answer questions in this area. It looks at the essential ingredients for successful commercial proof of concept projects, and illustrates this with real-life case studies.
Workshop 4
Thursday 10th June at 11am till 2pm in the Loughborough Innovation Centre
“Money, Money, Money – Funding your Innovation”
This workshop will give participants a broad understanding of what sources of funding are available for innovative projects, and how to access them. It highlights the importance of matching your objectives to the correct source of funding, and the strings attached to some sources. It will look at reasons for the success and failure of applications using real case studies.
Workshop 5
TBA in the Loughborough Innovation Centre
“Academics don't sell ...or do they?”
This last workshop looks to challenge perspectives of what selling is, demonstrate the value in knowing how to sell in everyday situations, and provide some tools to improve skills. Examples and case studies are taken from situations you will be familiar with, including writing grant proposals, pulling together collaborations, and applying for research jobs..
Please check back here for further workshop titles and dates as they become available.
Workshop contacts: Binnie Tsui at Ipso Ventures
Workshop background information click here
