6 March 2014 12:09

Lancaster University is looking to match businesses and top academic researchers during a series of three day-long events.

The ‘Collaborative Impact’ events aim to match industry ideas to academic research to forge partnerships that lead to novel products and services.

Held between April 8-10, the events are themed to cover eco-innovation and energy, ICT and cyber-security, and quantum related technologies.

Ideas generated during the events could receive £5,000 seed funding through the Impact Acceleration Account (IAA). More substantial funding of up to £25,000 - matched by the business partner – could also be available to develop Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) research into viable commercial propositions.

Dr Mark Rushforth, Head of Business Partnerships and Enterprise for Physical Sciences at Lancaster University, said: “These highly-participative thematic events will provide the opportunity for researchers and industry to interact and influence each other’s research and business plans.

“This process should lead to new ideas for products and services that we hope to be able to invest in so that we see genuine wider economic benefits resulting from high quality academic research taking place at Lancaster University.”

Funding allocated through the IAA is designed to help translate EPSRC-funded academic research into wider societal and economic benefit.

The events will take place at Lancaster University on the following dates:

Eco-Innovation/Energy – 8th April 2014

ICT/Cyber Security – 9th April 2014

Quantum and Related Technologies - 10th April 2014

The Impact Acceleration Account is set to run until October 2015.

More information about the fund is available at http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/sci-tech/business/iaa/

Businesses interested in taking part in the Collaborative Impact events can email m.rushforth@lancaster.ac.uk or call 07964921891.