A second Knowledge Transfer Project has begun following the launch of the University’s Knowledge Transfer Account in October.
The University was one of just 12 in the country to be chosen to receive a Knowledge Transfer grant from the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) as part of its Knowledge Transfer Accounts (KTA).
Earlier this month it was announced that Dr Eamonn O’Neill in the Department of Computer Science was awarded a six-month Knowledge Transfer Fellowship project with Vodafone. The project will investigate how to adopt the research outputs (know-how and novel techniques) from the ‘Cityware project’ in relation to methods for determining when mobile phone users are in proximity to each other.
Now Dr Fetah Benabid, in the Department of Physics, has received funding to assist his team in the further commercial development of a new spin-out company. GLOphotonics is intended to be a vehicle for the commercialisation of novel Photonic Microcell (PMC) technology based on gas filled hollow-core photonic crystal fibres that can enable very compact lasers to be built with high spectral characteristics at virtually any wavelength. As well as enabling cost reductions in certain industries, it will also open up completely new markets for example in biological imaging, and other medical and industrial applications.
The funding awarded includes provision for a dedicated Knowledge Transfer Fellowship who will manage the transfer of the knowledge of both the fabrication and operation of PMCs into the spin-out company. A Knowledge Transfer Mentor has been allocated, David Richards, to provide advice and assistance, in particular in relation to the investment worthiness of the business plan. Proof of Concept funding will enable the team to develop prototypes and display them at trade shows to gain interest from potential manufacturers, customers and investors. A Partnership Development Award is also providing funding alongside other organisations, to develop application-specific prototypes.
David Coleman, the Technology Transfer Manager who is responsible for the commercial development of GLOphotonics on behalf of Bath Ventures, said : “In the current economic climate, high impacting commercial opportunities such as GLOphotonics need to be incubated to a point where they are much closer to market than we have seen in the past.
“The EPSRC have shown great insight in awarding the University the Knowledge Transfer Account, which enables a far more realistic level of support to be provided to opportunities such as this, in order to realise significant economic and social impact from the adoption of research that it funds”.