Category Archives: Policy, funding and business strategy

UK government voices support for translation of advanced materials

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Speaking at the Royal Institution in London, UK, Science and Universities Minister David Willetts announced the latest package of investment (£186 million) in what the government dubs “the eight great technologies of the future” to accelerate high-tech progress from the lab to the marketplace.

The eight great technologies are big data, space and satellites, robotics and autonomous systems, synthetic biology, regenerative medicine, agri-science, advanced materials (see PDF) and energy storage.

Funding boost
“We are investing to help translate our excellent science into commercially successful technologies which in turn boosts our businesses, creates jobs and drives economic growth,” said Willetts.

Crowdfunding teaches researchers new skills in taking products to market

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Crowdfunding – the pooling of money to fund projects via the Internet – gives developers another avenue to explore for raising seed capital (especially for ideas that capture the public’s imagination) and could be a good fit for the materials-science community.

Microryza has been offering a crowdfunding platform for research scientists since 2012 and now has more than 50 fully funded projects to its name across all categories. Current listings in engineering and physics have reached targets of several thousand dollars to translate ideas along the innovation chain. Examples here include Organofoam, which aims to improve biodegradable alternatives to polystyrene, and NanJect – a patch for enabling targeted drug delivery using nanoparticles.

Skills sharpener
Looking at feedback from participants, it’s clear that the process delivers more than just development dollars. Crowdfunding forces start-ups to sharpen their communication skills and get to grips with public engagement. Also, putting yourself in front of a new audience can lead to some very useful conversations.

Continue reading →

The dash for cash: a new funding landscape for high-tech start-ups

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Steve Walsh and Ray Quintana at COMS 2013

Ray Quintana (left) and Steve Walsh discuss funding options (Credit: Eric Brinkhorst, COMS 2013)

Business experts speaking at COMS 2013, an annual conference that focuses on the commercialization of micro- and nanotechnologies, offered a stark reminder of the ongoing impact of the global financial crisis on scientists and engineers who want to convert their research into a business venture. Jelto Kromwijk Smit of the Dutch investment firm Prime Ventures said that venture capital funding in Europe has fallen from €8bn in 2007 to €4bn in 2012, which in practice means that most VCs are targeting their investments towards established companies with products that are almost ready for market. Banks and institutional investors have also steered away from the start-up sector as they seek to reduce risk and stabilize their balance sheets.

So far, so pessimistic. But speakers also highlighted several new ways for early-stage companies to raise some cash. Continue reading →

Welcome to TMR+

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In this blog we’ll be looking at what it takes to translate new materials into market-ready products. Focus areas will include printed and flexible electronics, bio-compatible materials, photonic structures, and candidates for improved energy storage and next-generation memory. At the heart of the project is the launch of the new journal – Translational Materials Research (TMR), which will examine not just the technical requirements in terms of properties and scalable fabrication, but also the skills and strategies that are necessary to navigate a path from the lab to a company complete with staff, facilities and sales!

We’ll keep you posted as the editorial board takes shape and will announce when the journal is open for submissions; so, please do bookmark the URL or add your e-mail to our alert tool. Also, don’t be shy – we’d appreciate your feedback, so feel free to contact us with your thoughts on the TMR project and the content as it appears.

James Tyrrell, Project Editor