Oxentia, which is now a separate company, underwent significant change and development over the past year, with brand transformation and subsequent spinning out from Oxford University Innovation allowing for expansion of its presence in the UK and globally. During this transition, Oxentia has become further embedded in the UK innovation ecosystem, continuing its Knowledge Exchange and Commercialisation (KEC) Partnerships with Cranfield University, the University of Westminster, and the Open University, and developing new collaborations with the University of Hull and Sheffield Hallam University.
In Oxford, Oxentia completed a project with the Oxford University Social Sciences Division to undertake an analysis that scoped out the opportunities and barriers for university-business engagement in the social sciences. This analysis identified potential areas for improved engagement, greater impact and income generation that will be used by the Division to inform its business engagement strategy and the scope of a potential support offering for the sector.
Oxentia consultants, working with environment innovation experts Keith Binding and Richard Blackmore, supported the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) in a strategic review of the Innovation Programme (IP) mechanism in terms of its design and delivery.
With the findings from this review, NERC is equipped with a comprehensive understanding of academic and industry partner perspectives on the IP mechanism, programme impacts for those partners and academics, and operational recommendations for programme improvement.
In March 2017, Oxentia held its inaugural University Enterprise Forum event in London, hosting 22 Pro Vice Chancellors from across the UK. Attendees discussed university innovation, focussing on opportunities and challenges in engaging funders, investment, entrepreneurs and industry. In bringing the Pro Vice Chancellor community together, Oxentia staff were able to foster collaboration and the sharing of current good practice that is critical to stay ahead of the changing university innovation environment and to support the convergence of knowledge exchange and technology transfer.
Looking ahead, Oxentia plans to develop its training and service offerings to satisfy global demand for technology transfer and innovation. 2018 will see an expansion in Oxentia’s accredited technology transfer course offerings, to include new courses; ‘The Commercialisation of Digital Knowhow’ and ‘Marketing & Valuation of Technology’.
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