Commercialising research to achieve real-world impact
Driving Real-World Impact through Education, Research, and Innovation
At the heart of Northumbria University’s 2030 Strategy is a commitment to ensuring our world-leading education and research make a tangible difference. We are dedicated to enabling people from all backgrounds to succeed, while supporting businesses and communities to thrive.
A key part of this mission is the commercialisation of the intellectual property (IP) developed by our talented people. Through the creation of new spinout companies and licensing opportunities, we bring innovative ideas to life—generating real-world impact, new businesses, and high-quality jobs.
We view knowledge exchange not just as a process, but as a powerful driver of social and economic value. By turning research into practical solutions, we contribute to a more inclusive and prosperous economy.
Over the past fifteen years, Northumbria has undergone a remarkable transformation into a research-intensive university. Ranked 23rd in the UK for research power in the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF), we have cultivated a vibrant research culture that produces high-quality, impactful work.
Our award-winning IP commercialisation team plays a crucial role in this ecosystem. Currently supporting more than 160 commercial projects, they are helping to translate research breakthroughs into successful spinouts and licensing deals.
We are proud to showcase just a sample of these innovative ventures and warmly welcome opportunities to collaborate—whether you are an investor, entrepreneur, or organisation seeking cutting-edge solutions.
Showcasing our world-class ideas
The IP Commercialisation Team at Northumbria coordinate an annual Showcase event that profiles a range of commercialisation projects supported by the team. The third iteration of the Showcase took place on 11th June 2025 and provided a platform for our academic innovators and spinout founders to showcase the readiness of their research outputs for adoption by industry through a series of pitch presentations, panel discussions and product demonstrations. Over 120 participants attended the event including external partners such as angel investors, business advisors/professionals, and colleagues from our partner North East Universities. The event featured a range of novel ideas and technologies, from med-tech devices solving diagnosis challenges for lunch conditions, green-tech solutions for atmospheric water generation, net-zero air conditioning, green batteries and CO2 to Sustainable Aviation Fuel converters, to 3D weaving technology, advanced polymers, social enterprises promoting non-coercive interviewing, and free-space optical communications.
“Our IP Commercialisation team were recognised by the sector’s KE professional body, Knowledge Exchange UK, as the ‘KE Team of the Year’ in 2023 for our work to increase commercial opportunities from our IP, demonstrating how far we have come in transforming the commercialisation landscape of the University - we are very proud to have the opportunity to support our world-class academics and collaborators on this valuable contribution to real-world impact.” Michael Parker, Director of Knowledge Exchange, Northumbria University
The Showcase also offered the opportunity to screen our latest IP Commercialisation promotional video which, alongside the presentations and demonstrations, profiled the University as a place where innovation thrives and is nurtured to have economic and social impact through a process of commercialisation. Northumbria is actively contributing to the regional ecosystem by increasing the number of spinouts and licensing opportunities from our IP. If you are interested in collaborating with us, or understanding more about our IP commercialisation portfolio, please do not hesitate to contact the team: IPcommercialisation@northumbria.ac.uk
