The transferable nature of our enterprise seminars and speakers provide skills in resourcefulness, resilience and reflection for both students and staff.
Our past seminars:
Guest speaker, Prof. Quentin Pankhurst, Director of the UCL Healthcare Biomagnetics Laboratory, shares:
- His experience over almost 30 years at 911, during which time he has founded or co-founded multiple spinout or start-up companies in the field of healthcare biomagnetics, including Endomagnetics Ltd. (2007), Resonant Circuits Limited (2009), and MediSieve Ltd (2014).
- His insights about the role of academics in the translation and commercialisation of medical devices.
Guest speaker, Prof. Carina Fearnley discusses:
- The growth of the WRC: Successes and failures, ongoing challenges in operation, growth, and funding, as well as engagement of the centre.
- Key factors to the centre’s growth such as the ability to conduct and implement interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary work, meeting the demands of those requiring and implementing academic knowledge and skills.
- Reflections on the experience of working across MAPS Faculty and insights on how to enhance intra-departmental collaboration.
Guest speaker, Prof. Ijeoma Uchegbushares:
- What Nanomerics understood to be the critical moments for their existance.
- How Nanomerics has evolved into an organisation it is today.
- Challenges and opportunities for those wishing to embark on a similar journey.
- The benefits that Nanomerics brings to their academic career.
Guest speaker, Gianluca Pescaroli shares:
- The first time he heard about the possibility of doing consultancy and his understanding of what consultancy can be.
- His small journey of mistakes, near misses, and lessons learned.
- Some examples of his work with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, Greater London Authority, Arup, and Resilience First.
- If consultancy is your next career move, if it’s something simply not worth it, or if it’s a “necessary evil” you could consider making a difference with your research.
Guest speaker, Cassie Dawson discusses:
- An explanation of how academics can use UCLC’s services, including contracts, project management and finance.
- Case studies of projects that have emerged from MAPS.
- Some other relevant completed project examples of overlapping subject area or interest to MAPS staff.
- The potential for consultancy to provide a pathway for demonstrating impact on society.
Guest speaker, Zubair Junjunia shares his story:
- From his initial idea to create ZNotes in 2014;
- To being accepted on the UCL Enterprise Launch Programme (now called "Build your own business 3: Launch your business") for assistance in evolving ZNotes into a start-up;
- How he continued to run ZNotes whilst completing his Mathematics Master’s degree;
- Drawing attention to the benefits of this venture;
- And any challenges he faced along the way.
Guest speaker, Prof Andy Beale discusses:
- The sometimes painful "on the job" learning process.
- What Finden Ltd. understood to be the critical moments for their existence.
- How Finden Ltd. has morphed into an organisation quite different to what they had initially envisaged.
- What Andrew sees as challenges and opportunities for those wishing to embark on a similar journey.
Guest speaker, Jim Skinner discusses:
- Research and development contracts.
- Manufacturing agreements.
- Sales, marketing and/or distribution contracts.
- Equity (financial) investments by major corporations.
- And many more...
Guest speaker Prof Peter Dobson discusses:
- Why are you doing it?
- Why not license the ideas to existing companies?
- Have you done due diligence on the idea?
- Is there a "supply chain" involved?
- How will you raise money to start?
- And do you have a clear idea how to sustain the growth of the company?
- Do you have an "exit plan"?
- And many more...
Guest speaker, Amy Bishton discusses:
- What is a patent?
- How do I obtain a patent?
- What can I obtain a patent for?
- Are there restrictions on what can be patented?
- What can be done with a patent?
- What does a patent application contain?
- What are the basic requirements for these?
Guest speaker, Dr Andrea Macrina discusses:
- What collaboration opportunity might there be between academia and the industry?
- Why collaborate on joint research with an industry partner, and is there a particular stage in one’s academic career when to begin?
- Serendipitous encounters or strategic planning?
- Where and how do academics and industry practitioners meet?
- What to do after contact details have been exchanged?
- How do I bring an industry partner on board?
What makes a business attractive for venture capital? (&) - David Grimm, UCL Tech Fund
Guest speaker, David Grimm discusses:
- How to develop the broader business thinking about new technologies.
- The different types of commercial funding available.
- How particpants to understand when venture capital may be a good method of funding for their business idea.
Guest speaker, Kirby Drake discusses:
- What is a trade secret?
- What is protectable as a trade secret?
- Effects of trade secret disclosure.
- Considerations as to whether to protect through trade secrets or patents.
- Reasonable measures – best practices to maintain trade secrets.