The University of Birmingham is delighted to announce that 16 business ideas, from a variety of researchers, have been shortlisted for their chance to win 15k to help develop their research into a commercially viable opportunity.
The Enterprising Birmingham - Business Plan Competition rewards both research staff and postdoctoral researchers at the University of Birmingham who can demonstrate a great business idea based on their research.*
The shortlisted researchers have now been invited to attend two intensive in-house training sessions; along with one additional session provided by PricewaterhouseCoopers designed to give them the considerable skills necessary to formulate a sound business plan.
The business plans submitted will be further shortlisted by a group of both internal and external specialists and the finalists will be invited to present their ideas in front of a panel of judges at the Enterprising Birmingham Showcase which will take place on 13th January, 2011. The Showcase will be a lively demonstration of the entrepreneurial spirit of the University of Birmingham and we are hoping for a large audience from both inside and outside of the University.
The Business Plan competition has been launched for the first time this year with the aim of creating new business spinouts sought from its considerable research talent.
Both the Vice Chancellor: Professor David Eastwood and Pro-Vice Chancellor of Research & Knowledge Transfer: Professor Judith Petts agree that this is an ‘exciting event’ for the University.
Professor Judith Petts Pro-Vice Chancellor of Research & Knowledge Transfer said, ‘The university has traditionally done well in commercialisation…this is an opportunity to take our very best researchers and give them support in potentially forming new businesses that may go onto to be successful.’
If you would like to attend the showcase in January or would like more general information about the Business Plan Competition, please contact Miss Debbie White: d.white.3@bham.ac.uk
Thank you to our sponsors: Central Technology Belt, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Marks & Clerk LLP, Circles of Influence Campaign, the Knowledge Transfer Development Fund and Withers & Rogers LLP.
* Details of the shortlisted researchers below.
(order: Contact/Lead applicant, Role, School/Department)
Ali Kubba
Doctoral Student, Mechanical Engineering
Bayode Ero-Phillips
Doctoral Student, Metallurgy and Materials
Dr Bushra Al Duri
Senior lecturer, Chemical Engineering
Dr Gurmel Ghataora
Lecturer, Civil Engineering
Dr Mark D Redwood
SCRATCH Research Fellow Unit of Functional Bionanomaterials, Biosciences
Dr Oliver Mason
Technical Director, English, Drama and American & Canadian Studies
Rustam Stolkin
Research Fellow, Computer Science
Dr Tim Knowles
Post-Doctoral, Researcher Division of Cancer Studies
Tong Hao
Research Fellow, Civil Engineering
Wai-Ling Bickerton
Research Fellow, Psychology
Che Zulkhairi Abdullah (Zul)
Doctoral Student, Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering.
Dr. Helen (Xiaoying) Hu
Research Fellow, Business School
Xavier Disley
Doctoral Student, Sport & Exercise Sciences
Dr Eleanor Quested
Research Fellow PAPA Project, Sport & Exercise Sciences
Professor Scott Lucas
Professor, English, Drama and American & Canadian Studies
Professor Richard Lilford
Head of Division & Professor Division of Primary Care, Public and Occupational Health, Health & Population Sciences