THE podcast: What does it take to successfully commercialise research?
A technology transfer expert and biotech spin-out founder explain the steps involved in moving discoveries from the lab to the market.
Most academics want their work to have an impact and one route to achieving this is by commercialising their findings. By partnering with an existing company to bring a product to market or by establishing a new spin-out enterprise, scholars can develop technologies, products and solutions that can revolutionise whole sectors, whether in healthcare, construction, farming and more. But this is a far from easy or simple process requiring tenacity, adaptability, collaboration and high level problem solving.
For this week’s podcast, we speak to two people with extensive experience in what it takes to commercialise research and become an academic entrepreneur.
Mairi Gibbs is CEO of Oxford University Innovation – the university’s technology transfer unit - where she has worked since 2002. With extensive practical experience in partnership management, formation of spinout companies, licensing and patent portfolio management, she explains the initial steps to commercialisation, what investors look for and what can be done at an institutional level to support more spin out activity.
Andrew Hammond is co-founder and head of R&D at Biocentis – an Imperial College London spin out founded in 2022. With a background in molecular biology, Andrew’s 10-year academic career at both Imperial and Johns Hopkins University involved advancing gene editing technology for use in insects. The resulted in the development of gene drive technology designed for use on malaria mosquitos and the later development of Biocentis.
For more advice and insight on this topic, read our spotlight guide on how to work well with industry.
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Campus podcast: Actions that make a real difference in the fight against climate change
As complex organisations, universities need to examine their many and varied functions when seeking to reduce their carbon footprint and advance sustainability.
For many, the easier changes have been made so, looking ahead, institutions need to get smarter about how they transform their practices and policies to halt future global warming.
In this episode, we speak to two women focused upon driving positive change and reducing emissions in two very different but equally important arenas of university work.
Ellen Quigley is principal research associate at the University of Cambridge. She is also co-director of finance for environmental and social systemic change and special adviser in responsible investment to the university’s chief financial officer. Her own award-winning research focuses on the mitigation of climate change and inequality through the investment policies and practices of institutional investors. Drawing on the example of Jesus College, Cambridge, she explains how universities can use their power as investors to influence and press for environmental change across multiple sectors – and work against funding for fossil fuel extraction.
Jenna Lowe is the laboratory sustainability officer at the University of Liverpool. She manages the university’s Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework (LEAF) and is a member of the sustainability team. She was shortlisted in the Outstanding Technician of the Year category in the 2024 THE Awards. She discusses how seemingly small adaptations in lab practices can have a huge impact in reducing emissions and waste.
You can find more advice and insight on how universities can work towards achieving net zero in our latest spotlight guide here: Higher education’s bumpy road to net zero | THE Campus Learn, Share, Connect
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Campus podcast: The complex factors that drive students’ sense of belonging
A sense of belonging is particularly valuable in higher education, where feeling valued, respected and part of a community are connected to students’ academic achievement, retention and well-being. But belonging resists clear definition, both what it is and how it relates to other concepts such as inclusion and mattering. This is especially true in a post-pandemic world, where online learning and the digital transformation have blurred the boundaries of university life.
For this episode of the Campus podcast, we speak to Karen Gravett, who is an associate professor in higher education and associate head of research in the Surrey Institute of Education at the University of Surrey. Her research covers belonging, digital education, student engagement, relational pedagogies and literacy practices. As part of the Belonging to and beyond the Digital university project, Karen (working with Rola Ajjawi of Deakin University and Sarah O’Shea from Charles Sturt University) asked students what belonging means to them, and in this conversation she shares insights into post-Covid student life and why elements such as curation, safety, non-belonging and connection to an academic discipline are powerful drivers of belonging.
You'll find more advice and insight on how to build belonging at your higher education institution in our latest spotlight guide.
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Campus podcast: The secrets of effective policy engagement - from two academics who have worked in government
Hear from two academic policy experts, one in the UK and one in the US, who discuss the most effective ways that researchers can share their expertise with politicians and civil servants.
We speak to:
Michael Sanders is a professor of public policy at Kings College London and director of the School for Government. In addition to his academic career, he has worked in government as chief scientist on the Behavioural Insights Team and was the founding chief executive of What Works for Children’s Social Care.
David Garcia is a professor with Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at Arizona State University. Prior to joining ASU, he helped found the Arizona Center for Public Policy - ThinkAZ, and he was worked as an associate superintendent and a director of research and policy with Arizona Department of Education. He is also a former legislative staffer with the Arizona State Senate and was the 2018 Democratic candidate for governor of Arizona.
For more advice and insight on how best to engage policymakers with your research, take a look at our latest spotlight: An academics' guide to policy impact.
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Campus podcast: Why internationalisation must remain a cornerstone of higher education
Hear why an international approach to higher education research and teaching is vital to building a better future and solving global challenges.
We speak to two academic experts to learn about effective institutional strategies to support internationalisation but also what key barriers prevent a more global academy.
Lily Kong is president of Singapore Management University. She is the first women to lead an institute of higher education in Singapore. She took the helm in 2019 after three years as provost, and prior to this she held senior management roles at the National University of Singapore.
Manuel Barcia is the University of Bath’s pro vice-chancellor (global) after moving from the University of Leeds in May 2025, where he was dean for global engagement and chair of global history in the School of History.
For more advice and insight on this topic, browse our spotlight guide to teaching and researching across borders.
Advice, insights and solutions for the challenges facing higher education from academics, faculty and staff at institutions around the world. Hear teaching tips, writing pointers, discussions on the big issues, forecasts and first-hand experiences from university leaders.
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