Brits join the real world

It's only been in the last decade that British academics have, by and large, become comfortable with the notion of commercializing their research. And much of the development so far has been confined to the country's top institutions: Oxford, Cambridge, and Imperial College. Now a private company, Forward Group, sees potential in helping researchers at less well-known schools that consistently turn out applied technologies. Forward Group, a fund created by high-tech entrepreneur Ray Chamberlain, is signing contracts with schools to provide them with management and commercial skills, as well as capital. In return, it receives preferred access to their research.

Forward Group works from a fairly obvious starting point: that scientists often lack entrepreneurial skills, and few are particularly interested in business. Basically, says Andrew Mitchell, managing director, his company frees up scientists to continue doing what they do best-research-while letting them reap the financial benefits of their work. The group has put together a "significant" fund, and has a team of people who not only have entrepreneurial and commercial skills but understand technology.

Its first contract was a $29 million agreement with Leeds University, and it recently signed a second, $14.5 million contract with Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh. Areas of research that interest Forward Group include wireless communications, cancer treatments, CAD software, and new materials for optical components. Dealing with scientists who are not always commercially minded has not proved easy, Mitchell says, but the group understands that universities want to manage, not sell, their intellectual property rights. Now Forward Group expects to eventually form partnerships with at least 10 other schools.

Copyright American Society for Engineering Education Nov 2001
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