Royal Society announces 2021 Entrepreneur in Residence scheme award holders

Sixteen entrepreneurs, senior scientists and business leaders have been awarded a place on the Royal Society’s Entrepreneur in Residence scheme for 2021. 

The Entrepreneurs join a growing network in universities and research institutes across the UK, helping translate cutting-edge research into industrial success. Alongside their host institution, the award holders will develop projects that build the entrepreneurial skills of staff and students, as well as their understanding of the scientific challenges being tackled in the innovation sector. 

With expertise from across aerospace, sustainable finance, digital life sciences and beyond, this year’s cohort can help graduates develop skills that will be at the heart of a fair and green recovery from the pandemic.

Through the scheme, Entrepreneurs in Residence are funded to spend one day a week with the partner institution. 

Since its inception in 2018, the scheme has funded 65 placements in 38 universities across the UK. 

The full list of the newly awarded Entrepreneurs in Residence and their projects is below:

Dr Caroline Barelle, Elasmogen, Queen's University Belfast

Caroline Barelle is the CEO of Elasmogen, a Biotech company based in Aberdeen. As the newly appointed Entrepreneur in Residence at Queen’s University Belfast within the Medicine, Health and Life Sciences faculty, Caroline will commit time to mentoring and supporting researchers who are considering commercial projects or careers in the biotech industry. 

Mr Phil Bates, University of Bristol

At the University of Bristol, the digital revolution is very much alive with ground-breaking research in Digital Chemistry and the Life Sciences. Phil Bates brings 30+ years of industrial experience making enterprise software products and high-performance cloud infrastructure to support researchers transitioning their research across a range of fields - from drug and vaccine development to synthetic biology.

Mrs Dawn Bonfield, Towards Vision, King’s College London

 Dawn Bonfield’s project will support future engineers and innovators at King’s College London to think holistically and creatively about their role in addressing some of the most pressing challenges we face today, captured by the Sustainable Development Goals.

 Dr Jayne Brookman, Merigan, University of Leeds

Jayne Brookman will focus on encouraging early career academics towards a more entrepreneurial mindset. The project will support the development of entrepreneurial skills across the Global Food and Environment Institute’s education and research programmes through a focus on transferable business skills.

Mr Kenny Fraser, Triscribe Limited, University of Dundee

 Kenny Fraser’s project at the School of Medicine in Dundee will create a solid foundation of entrepreneurial culture and commercial mindset that will drive the opportunity in digital and data driven healthcare. He will build on a world leading research base to innovate for the benefit of all.

Mr Robert Goodfellow, Five Eleven Innovation, Edinburgh Napier University

The Edinburgh Napier Applied Sciences Commercialisation and Entrepreneurism Training project (NASCENT) will identify and commercialise health and wellbeing IPRs, develop new staff and student entrepreneurs and build a lasting “commercial culture” across the three campuses.

Dr Jamie Graves, L-Point, Edinburgh Napier University

Jamie Graves will aid Edinburgh Napier University in its ambitions to replicate existing spin out and commercialisation success in its Centre of Cyber Systems & Cryptography. The project will promote and emulate this success across the School of Computing. Jamie aims to build a sustainable pipeline of entrepreneurs across all academic cohorts via a series of awareness and training events in order to increase commercial activity.

Dr Christopher Hobbs, Satellite Applications Catapult, University of Southampton

The project’s aim is to identify space-relevant research at Southampton University that can be translated into early stage commercially relevant products and services. Christopher Hobbs will introduce researchers to industry and space sector developments, where their research can have applications. He will bring market insight and product development advice to Southampton’s innovators and through his background in the space sector, and his work at the Satellite Applications Catapult, he will bridge between space sector companies and academics to foster exciting collaborations that turn research into products that will help solve problems in the real world.

Ms Jessica Leigh Jones, iungo solutions, University of Wales, Trinity Saint David 

The University of Wales Trinity of St David is uniquely positioned within the Welsh Economy to cultivate a start-up culture within manufacturing and become a centre of excellence for engineering entrepreneurial education in Wales. Jessica Leigh Jones will aid the university in developing a Degree Apprenticeship in Engineering Entrepreneurship to develop the next generation of intrapreneurial talent for the South Wales Manufacturing Industry.

Professor William Kilgallon, Cybex Ventures, University of Reading 

The project aims to deliver a radical transformation in the commercialisation of research within the University of Reading, sponsored by the School of Chemistry, Food and Pharmacy. William Kilgallon will work with the university to develop an assessment and change programme that will accelerate ideas to market.

Mr Bruce Lynn, Queen Square Analytics, University College London (UCL)

Bruce Lynn’s project will be shaping the commercial focus of a new Quantitative Neuroradiology Innovation and Adoption Centre (QNIAC) currently envisaged for UCL in concert with the sponsor, Professor Daniel Alexander.  The Centre is planned to provide a unique hub for the identification and development of new neuroradiology technologies, addressing an unmet need that has confounded advancement in neuroradiology.

Dr Fiona Marston, RFM Associates, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine 

Fiona Marston’s project centres around commercial Innovation in the translation of infectious diseases research at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. She will be using engaging approaches to share her expertise in commercial translation with academic staff and provide mentoring to help ensure new products, technologies and policies from research can have impact.

Dr Everard Mascarenhas, Afferent Medical Solutions, Queen Mary University of London

Everard Mascarenhas will be joining Queen Mary Innovation, QMUL’s technology transfer company. He will help academics and students to translate their research into commercial propositions, develop commercialisation plans and incubate their innovations to a point where they are ‘investment ready’ or attract industry collaborators. 

Dr Richard Seabrook, 360Biomedical, University of Bristol 

Richard Seabrook’s project at the University of Bristol will work with both the Faculties of Health and Life Sciences to stimulate new business ventures based on the considerable research investments in bioinformatic, chemoinformatic and advanced therapy technologies.

Dr Rodger Sykes, Claverton Solutions, Durham University

Rodger Sykes will help to establish a strong entrepreneurial IP commercialisation process and culture in the Department of Physics. This will be achieved through entrepreneurship training and targeted mentoring of selected projects. Activity will also include building co-operation with other departments and the business school as well as support of broader University and Regional Incubator and Venture Fund establishment ambitions. 

Dr Maria Grazia Vigliotti, Sandblocks Consulting, Imperial College London

Maria Grazia Vigliotti will share her industry knowledge of blockchain in sustainable finance and advise on current research projects, including the development and commercialisation of so-called green bonds that allow small businesses to create cost-effective and carbon friendly bonds. She will also promote entrepreneurship skills, particularly among undergraduate and postgraduate female students and postdoctoral staff via seminars and mentoring sessions.