Royal Society announces latest Entrepreneur in Residence recipients

Fifteen entrepreneurs, senior scientists and business leaders have been awarded a place on the Royal Society’s Entrepreneur in Residence scheme. They will help translate cutting-edge research into industrial success across a variety of fields including life sciences, sustainable agriculture, mental health, additive manufacturing, energy transition and AI.

The Entrepreneurs in Residence join a growing network across the UK. Since its launch in 2018, the scheme has funded over 130 placements in 65 institutions, aiming to increase the knowledge in UK universities of the science, research and innovation taking place in industry.

Over the next two years, the Entrepreneurs in Residence will develop projects within their host institutions that build the entrepreneurial skills of staff and students, adding to their understanding of the scientific challenges being tackled in the innovation sector.

The full list of awardees and their projects (in alphabetical order):

Dr Gia Aradottir, Harper Adams University
Gia is a scientist, entrepreneur, and innovation strategist specialising in sustainable crop protection and agricultural innovation. At Harper Adams University, Gia will support scientists in translating evidence-based knowledge into agricultural practice. In addition to commercial opportunities in crop protection and agri-tech, the project will develop blueprints for not-for-profit innovation - ensuring that valuable research and best practices benefit farmers and the environment, even when commercial pathways are not immediately viable.

Erika Brodnock MBE, King's College London
Erika is a multi-award-winning entrepreneur, behavioural scientist, and co-founder of Kinhub, an AI-driven platform enhancing employee coaching and productivity. Within King’s College London’s Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, Erika’s “Translating Research into Social Enterprise” project will introduce social entrepreneurship as a pathway to real-world impact. She will support staff and students in bridging research and sustainable ventures, with a focus on mental health, human trafficking, and healthcare accessibility. The project will equip researchers with the tools, knowledge, and networks needed to create enterprises that drive meaningful societal change.

Mary Jane Brouwers, Edinburgh Napier University
Mary Jane is an experienced investor with a focus on Scottish university startups, spinouts, and impact investing. At Edinburgh Napier University, Mary Jane will develop an action plan for an “Investing for Impact Hub” to bridge the gap between research and viable business models for impact-led ventures. The initiative will support social entrepreneurship and the development of innovative, high-impact products and services. Initially focused on Scotland, the hub aims to expand internationally over time.

Dr Lucy Buckley, University of Manchester
Lucy is a registered pharmacist with a PhD from the University of Manchester and over 20 years of experience across diverse healthcare sectors. As Entrepreneur in Residence at the University of Manchester, Lucy will leverage her broad sector experience to drive collaboration between industry and academic science. Her focus will be on bridging gaps to achieve meaningful impact across the School of Health Sciences and the wider community.

David Farquhar, University of Edinburgh
David is a serial entrepreneur, NXD and angel investor who has been building and selling companies since 1993, and has previous experience as an Entrepreneur in Residence with the AI Accelerator programme at Edinburgh University. The three focus areas of his Entrepreneur in Residence programme are Sustainability, Health and Digital transformations. He aims to attract more risk capital to Scotland to improve the rate of commercialisation of academic research, as well as access to capital, and the eco-systems behind it, to stimulate more start-ups, spin-outs, industrial collaboration and licensing, and help drive up their growth and success rates.

Scott Hodgins, University of Central Lancashire
Scott is a tech-focused entrepreneur and innovation strategist with extensive experience in founding, scaling, and successfully exiting technology-driven ventures. At the Doctoral Training Centre (DTC), Scott will lead workshops focused on personal development, entrepreneurial skills, market analysis, and creating viable business ventures from cutting-edge research. His goal is to bridge the gap between technological innovation and commercial viability, enabling sustainable growth and meaningful market impact.

Dr Michael Hunter, Newcastle University
Michael has extensive biotech R&D experience, spanning the entire drug development process from concept to clinic, across a range of therapeutic areas including small molecules and biologics. As Entrepreneur in Residence at Newcastle University, he will use his expertise to support and mentor academics in translating innovative life science discoveries into the commercial sector. His work will focus on creating business plans, launching new therapeutic biotech companies, and engaging stakeholders across the North East and Newcastle University to provide expert advice on pharmaceutical R&D.

Mary McKenna MBE, Ulster University
Mary is a Northern Irish serial tech entrepreneur, award-winning angel investor with extensive experience supporting early-stage and scaling ventures across the European ecosystem, and co-founder of AwakenHub, an all-Ireland female founder community. At the University of Ulster’s Business School, Mary will work to empower academics, students, and potential entrepreneurs to transform their intellectual property into commercial, real-world solutions. Her focus will be on creating value for both the University and wider society by supporting the development of impactful ventures.

Dr Martin McMahon, Anglia Ruskin University
Martin has 15 years of experience in the metal Additive Manufacturing (AM) sector. At Anglia Ruskin University, Martin leads the Additive Anglia project, aimed at integrating advanced 3D printing technologies into the university curriculum. By forming a network with local universities, the project will create a 3D printing cluster in East Anglia, offering easier access to these technologies for both academic and industry stakeholders.

Phil Murray, Robert Gordon UniversityPhil is an entrepreneur, investor, and digital innovation leader with a proven track record in building and scaling technology businesses. At Robert Gordon University’s Digital Innovation Lab, Phil is working to support the next generation of entrepreneurs. His focus is on creating a model that empowers entrepreneurial professors and their teams to transform ideas into impactful ventures. Passionate about digital technology’s transformative power, Phil believes in its potential to sustainably enhance global living standards.

Fiona Nielsen, Earlham Institute
Fiona, founder of DNAdigest and Repositive, is a bioinformatics scientist turned entrepreneur who has served as CEO for four organisations across the life sciences, from bioinformatics to drug discovery. At the Earlham Institute, Fiona will advise on commercial strategy and identify opportunities in genomics and bioinformatics, focusing on agriculture, environment, pathogens, biodiversity, and human health. A key outcome of her work will be to foster a culture of entrepreneurship and enhance commercialisation skills across the institute.

Ian Phillips, University of Aberdeen
Ian brings over 25 years of experience in the upstream oil and gas industries and a further 18 years in the energy transition industries. As Entrepreneur in Residence at the University of Aberdeen’s Interdisciplinary Centre for Energy Transition, Ian focuses on bridging industry and academia. His objectives are to enrich energy transition education, support impactful research, and facilitate the commercialisation of industry-relevant innovations. Ian’s extensive experience aims to guide new research and accelerate the application of Energy Transition technologies, particularly those with significant societal benefits.

Stefan Raue, University of Glasgow
Stefan is a serial entrepreneur and advisor with over 20 years of experience working at an executive level across software and hardware technology companies specialising in IoT, AI, and enterprise solutions. As an Entrepreneur in Residence at the University of Glasgow, Stefan supports the School of Computing Sciences' commercialisation initiatives by strengthening industry-academic collaborations, mentoring early-stage companies, and fostering a sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystem. His work aims to enable collaboration, mentorship, and commercial success.

Professor Jeremy Shears, University of Manchester
Jeremy brings 38 years of experience in innovation and market development across the energy and chemicals sector. As Entrepreneur in Residence at the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology (MIB), Jeremy will leverage his commercial expertise to enhance education, research, and innovation across the MIB and other University departments. He aims to support the development of innovative solutions that bridge bioscience, chemistry, and chemical engineering to achieve a sustainable, net-zero system.

Dr Andrew Young, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Andrew brings extensive experience in entrepreneurship and hydrological sciences, who in 2004 successfully spun out a specialist hydrological services and IT company. Now, with the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH), he focuses on advancing the commercial impact of hydrology infrastructure, particularly in forecasting, environmental monitoring, and decision support tools. Andrew’s work will focus on developing novel commercialisation opportunities in hydrological sciences while expanding existing activities into new markets, contributing to the growth and impact of UKCEH across academic, public, and private sectors.