Edinburgh Research & Innovation
For over 45 years Edinburgh Research & Innovation (ERI) has been responsible for the University’s commercialisation activities. This year marks an exciting new chapter in the evolution of ERI services.
To support the University’s intention of increasing the current levels of industry engagement, ERI has refocussed and will now play a critical role in raising the levels industry interaction with the University.
The 'New' ERI
‘New’ ERI will continue to provide its core services, but will also increase and sustain industry’s involvement with the University in order to generate industry impact and revenue around our research excellence.
To drive the changes, a new ERI Senior Executive Team is now in place. The organisation has also been reshaped - ERI no longer has its Legal or Research Support services. These valued services are still available, but have now moved centrally to within the University.
Enhanced industry engagement service
Another important change with the organisation is in the creation of an enhanced ERI industry engagement service. The new service (which builds on the existing School Based BDE model) is available to all our Schools and Institutes who choose to participate and seek greater involvement and collaboration with industry.
Incorporated into the new service are exciting new initiatives for linking industry to both our research base and our student community. Typically these will include: creating and developing industry relationships; increasing the industry uptake of our expertise, research and capabilities; and also providing dedicated local support for IP development and consultancy.
Increasing ERI’s core services, whilst putting the key emphasis on industry engagement, will ensure that the University is able to optimise greater opportunities for investment and impact generation from industry involvement.
Single point of contact
Each participating School or Institute will have access to internally based ERI Business Development professional, who will provide a single point of contact, and ensure the effective delivery of the new service.
The Business Development resource will also ensure timely and effective access to important core ERI services. These include: commercialisation of the University’s IP; access to the Consultancy Service; enterprise training for our outstanding students; and the creation of sustainable high growth spin-out companies.
Where there is no specific need for individual Schools or Institutes to participate in the new service, ERI will continue to remain the primary service for spin out, intellectual property and consultancy enquiries.
ERI has strong working links with other University initiatives, such as Sunergos Innovations and Roslin Technologies, and will collectively will ensure the delivery of a depth of business development services across the whole University.
Gordon Donald, the new Chief Operating Officer is clear in his vision for ‘new’ ERI. He commented;
“Increasing ERI’s core services, whilst putting the key emphasis on industry engagement, will ensure that the University is able to optimise greater opportunities for investment and impact generation from industry involvement. The refocus of ERI will also result in a significant number of global partnerships being developed between the University and industry. We are already well on this path with ERI bringing and hosting a number of multinational companies to the University over the summer months. Through working together with our outstanding research base and our students, the future is ours to shape and it looks exciting!”