The University of Liverpool has leapt into the top 20 of a ranking that measures universities’ success at turning their academic achievements into thriving companies.
The University of Liverpool has risen 12 places since the survey last took place in 2020 and is now ranked 19th, making Liverpool the highest ranked university in the North West region. The University of Dundee, followed by Queen’s University Belfast have topped the rankings this year.
The Entrepreneurial Impact Ranking calculates the effectiveness of universities across the UK in terms of production of intellectual property, creation of spin-out companies and successful exits.
Since 2019, where the University of Liverpool was ranked 65th in the rankings, the University has gone from strength to strength in creating new spin-out companies which have a real impact across society, based on our world-changing research.
The University has seen significant progress across its growing spin-out portfolio in terms of raising investment and building investible teams. Recent successes include, Dr Srijan Jindal (Co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer) of PhenUtest Diagnostics, winning the prestigious Entrepreneur of the Year at the Educate North Awards, and ReNewVax being named as one of 5 ‘Spinouts To Watch’ in the recent UKTN report.
Supporting academics through the process of commercialising their research is a key strategic aim of the University, and the University backs this activity with its Enterprise Investment Fund (EIF), a £1.2 million annual fund which is dedicated to supporting commercialisation projects. In the last [4] years the University has invested a total of >£4m from the EIF.
The process of creating commercial success from our research is spearheaded by the University’s specialist IP Commercialisation Team which works with academics to bring University technologies to market and helps spin-out companies to grow and thrive.
As well as providing funding, the team offers practical advice and support for filing patent applications to protect University inventions, alongside other means of protection, negotiating commercial licences, partnering with industry, securing access to translational and industry funding, access to accelerator programmes and setting up spin-out companies.
Professor Anthony Hollander Pro-Vice Chancellor for Research and Impact said: “I’m really pleased to see that our University has not only risen 12 places in the Entrepreneurial Impact ranking, but has reached the top 20 universities across the country and is the highest ranked in the region.
“As a university, it’s really crucial that we work to contribute to the innovation ecosystem of the Liverpool City region to attract investors, inward investment and boost our local economy. It’s great to have recognition of the work of IP Team in this area through such a big jump up in the rankings.”
Emma Nolan, Head of IP Commercialisation said: “I am delighted with these results, which reflect the hard work of the team and the academic founders we work with to build activity around spin-out companies.
“Our ambitions over the next phase of the team’s development, are to continue to found investible spin-outs, with numbers increasing year on year, to develop strong links with investors and increasingly to play a central role in the Liverpool City Region innovation ecosystem.”
More information on the IP Commercialisation Team can be found here.