University of Birmingham Enterprise Annual Review

University of Birmingham Enterprise has now published its Review of 2023-24, a year which has seen a notable increase in demand for the company’s services, funding founds for spin-outs, and the recognition of our place in Birmingham’s innovation ecosystem through winning the Place-based Knowledge Exchange Initiative of the Year prize from PraxisAuril.

David Coleman, CEO of University of Birmingham Enterprise, said: “This year, we’ve gone through a period of rapid growth in demand for our enterprise, incubation and training services, and made a huge effort to accelerate a diverse pipeline of the ideas towards product development and launch. In tandem, we have revitalised our approach and embedded many new processes and systems, recruited and on-boarded new staff, and refurbished our headquarters at Birmingham Research Park.”

During 2023-24, University of Birmingham Enterprise reported significant funding rounds for several of spin-out companies, including Salinity Solutions, Tagomics and 4D Medicine, as well as the establishment of the new Midland Pharmaceuticals Ltd spin-out, which is developing a therapeutic for spinal cord injury.

Companies based at Birmingham Research Park also reported strong growth, with support of the Enterprise team which provides training, mentoring, and connectivity within the region. Unit 9, the award-winning med-tech incubator welcomed its seventh company, and Enterprise is now repurposing more space at the Park to improve its facilities and support future growth.

Enterprise has also continued to grow its innovative EnterpriseOD^TM Operating Division model, which is unique to the University of Birmingham, and allows academics to test their ideas before launching a fully-fledged company.

This model is poised to help researchers in the social sciences, humanities and the arts, through this pioneering approach, which is creating a culture that looks at SHAPE commercialisation as something that’s worth investing in.

IP and licensing activity has remained strong throughout the year, and the team has continued its excellent support for University researchers through commercialisation programmes, marketing initiatives, and the collaboration agreements that are vital for delivering life-changing technologies, innovations that move the dial in global health, original ways of connecting cultures, and inclusive ways of ensuring a fairer world for all.

David Coleman, CEO of University of Birmingham Enterprise, said: “The Review is a snapshot at a single point in time, and we had such a great year that we couldn’t include all the cases we’ve worked on. However we’re giving a big shout out to all the researchers and companies we’ve engaged with in the last year, and moving forward with excitement and confidence in the 2024-25 academic year.”