Make research impact a reality as a Future Founder
Do you want to develop the commercial potential of your research now or in the future? Future Founders is a training offer specifically designed for academics to embrace enterprise opportunities from their research. Many participants from previous cohorts have gone on to launch their own spinout businesses, and researchers at Northern Accelerator universities can now […]
Arts and humanities research commercialisation and a new funding platform
Small Grants, Big Ideas: ARTiUM is a funding platform that allows users to directly support the next wave of arts and humanities research through donations to fund innovative academic projects. Durham University has launched a pilot of the digital platform to gauge interest and demonstrate proof of concept. Artium is set to revolutionise how foundational […]
A powerful showcase and why starting a business is like bringing your first baby home
Northern Accelerator’s Building Momentum showcase saw a range of speakers bring to life their research commercialisation journey. The event at The Catalyst in Newcastle aimed to highlight the support Northern Accelerator introduced through its Research England CCF Momentum project. Building on the success of its existing support model, the funding allowed the partnership of six […]
Celebrating an international prize for Northumbria’s green battery technology
A biodegradable battery developed by researchers at Northumbria University has won a major international prize. The pioneering green battery, known as the BioPower Cell, has been awarded a prestigious Green Product Award 2025. There were around 2,000 applications from over 60 countries for the awards. The award celebrates sustainable products and ideas that combine innovation, […]
Investors see the Magnitude of Wormgazer technology
Durham University spinout Magnitude Biosciences has secured over £706,000 in funding to drive development of its next-generation drug screening platform. Magnitude Biosciences is a specialist contract research organisation (CRO) in County Durham. It offers in vivo discovery of treatments for age-related conditions and other diseases using microscopic worms called C. elegans. The funding will enable […]
Another strong year of growth and investment for Newcastle spinouts
Biotechnology and AI spearhead a consecutive year of £40M+ investment in companies commercialising research from Newcastle University. Investments in Newcastle University spinouts totalled £41.7m in 2024. It is the second year in succession that £40m+ has been raised by companies built on research discoveries. There are now 40 active Newcastle University spin-out companies, creating 370 […]
£8.9m boost for research commercialisation in North East England
A new collaborative project that builds on the foundations of Northern Accelerator has received major funding from the UK Government. The North East Strategic Commercialisation project will strengthen collaboration between universities, businesses and others to drive economic growth and create jobs in North East England. The five-year programme led by Durham with Newcastle, Northumbria, Sunderland […]
King’s Award for Durham spinout working to make railways safer
Durham University spinout company Geoptic, has been honoured with a King’s Award for Enterprise. The award recognises the company’s pioneering approach to assessing the condition and safety of railway tunnels. The King’s Awards are the highest official UK awards for British businesses. Railway safety The award for Geoptic, in the Innovation category, recognises the unique […]
Northumbria spinout’s aircon innovation crowned Innovation of the Year
An energy-efficient cooling system developed by scientists at Northumbria University has been crowned one of the most ground-breaking innovations of the year. Optimum Air Con won the Innovation of the Year – Thermal Comfort category, at the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) Building Performance Awards 2025. Optimum Air Con is an innovative cooling […]
Region’s net-zero experts invited to collaborate at innovation sprints
Northern Accelerator has partnered with Innovation SuperNetwork to develop opportunities for researchers to collaborate on net zero solutions. In two highly interactive events facilitated by Innovation SuperNetwork, researchers from Northern Accelerator partner universities will explore real-world applications for their research while fostering collaboration across institutions. Academics whose research has a potential impact in energy innovation […]