Turn innovation into results with BU. Partner with our Business Engagement & Commercialisation Team to shape commercial propositions, secure licences and translate frontier research into market‑ready solutions.
BU provides access to a portfolio of licensable technologies and research assets. Through cross‑sector partnerships, we open doors to funding, investment and entrepreneurial ecosystems.
Our streamlined approach to intellectual property (IP) empowers both academic and industry teams to accelerate adoption and amplify societal and economic benefits.
Spin‑out review: statement of intention to adopt
BU fully supports the recommendations from Research England’s Independent Review of University Spin‑out Companies and is incorporating the best practices described in the Review and the TenU University Spin-out Investment Terms (USIT) and the TenU USIT for software guides into our policies and procedures for IP, commercialisation support and spin‑outs.
What this means in practice
- Policy alignment: We are updating BU’s IP policy and commercialisation processes, so they better reflect the Review’s recommendations and the USIT Guides.
- Equity at formation: The equity split between founders and BU at spin‑out formation will align with the recommendations in the USIT Guides.
- Clear timeline: These updates and the formal adoption of the recommendations and USIT guidelines are scheduled for completion in 2026 and will be applied to the founding of all new BU spin‑out companies.
Building an entrepreneurial culture
- Raising awareness: We will inclusively and actively promote spin‑out as a viable route to translate research IP into products or services that deliver real-world impact.
- Transparent process: We will provide clear and accessible information about each step of the spin‑out journey for our academic community to help founders navigate from disclosure to deal completion.
- Supporting our spin-outs: We will work with our regional ecosystem to facilitate the most optimal commercial path for our spin-outs, promoting innovation and enterprise through engagement, collaboration and partnerships
Committing to best practice – maintaining flexibility
- Recognised best practice: We will align our commercialisation and spin-out processes with recognised best practice and continuously improve to ensure that innovation and enterprise are built in, not bolted on.
- Tailored approach: BU has a small but growing spin-out pipeline. We recognise that spin‑out development needs an adaptable approach. Our framework and procedures will allow measured flexibility case‑by‑case, while we update and refine our policies and processes.
Current licensing opportunities
Health and wellbeing
A team from University Hospitals Dorset (UHD) and BU has developed a smart phone-based point-of-care testing (POCT) and monitoring medical device for Peripheral Neuropathy (PN) - the NERVE device.
We are seeking partners to license and bring this patented technology to international markets to improve the wellbeing of people living with diabetes.
Find out more about the opportunity
Surface interaction and corrosion
Our researchers have created and patented a remote corrosion sensor system that can improve the safety and long-term reliability of structures such as bridges, aircraft, military vehicles, and gas pipelines. The system can detect and locate defects in both coatings and within the substrate beneath.
The system can detect and locate defects in both coatings and within the substrate beneath.
We are seeking partners to license this technology in different market sectors.