Intellectual property and commercialisation: a flexible touch

At University of Birmingham Enterprise, flexible and creative ways of backing research commercialisation are just as important as the research itself, as there is no one-size-fits-all route from lab to impact and commercial success.

“The technology varies, the markets vary, and the founding teams vary,” says Jerel Whittingham, Head of IP and Commercialisation at Enterprise. In some cases, Enterprise is helping a company build from the ground up, while in others, they are fine-tuning the end product. Mr Whittingham envisions this work as a matrix: internal versus external partners, light-touch support versus heavy-lifting.

The first step is always to understand the technology and what it does. “Our job is to ask: so what?” says Mr Whittingham. “Who will pay for it and how much they will pay, what business model makes sense, how you build the team, all of that flows from the commercial “so what” question.”

One example is PeroCycle, a project Mr Whittingham has worked closely with. The company maintains close ties with the university, with ongoing research into other applications of the technology. “Almost everything about this deal is different from the typical spin-out, but UoBE was able to be flexible and use our commercial and IP expertise to make it happen,” says Mr Whittingham.

Salinity Solutions, a company pioneering advanced water treatment technologies with a strong focus on sustainability and energy efficiency, is another model for spin-outs looking to achieve independence, and shows Enterprise’s dynamic role in the process. “I think they’d describe us as an agile partner,” Whittingham says. “We helped them get moving: pushing the bicycle, then running alongside, and now they’re pedalling on their own.” Enterprise still supports the company when required as a significant shareholder and the IP licensor, but the company now operates fully independently.

You don’t have to be ruthless to succeed. Business can be community-based and values-driven.
Jerel Whittingham
Head of IP and Commercialisation

Enterprise emphasises good governance as a foundation for success. Properly authorised, properly constituted boards matter, for instance, and a spin-out is a serious legal responsibility. “We want them to understand the journey from lab to company creation: diverse factors that need to be addressed, the risks to be managed, and why respect for business skills is just as important as technical excellence,” says Mr Whittingham.

Spin-outs are becoming increasingly important to the UK’s industrial strategy. Universities are expected to create more high-quality ventures while balancing research demands and funding pressures. In that context, the role of organisations like Enterprise is both more prominent and more vital.