UK based programme: i2i – Ideas to Innovation

Idea to innovation (i2i) is a success-proven Cambridge-based programme for PhDs and post-docs in the research and concept phase. 

On the first day of the workshop Dr. Shailendra Vyakarnam, Neal Hartman (MIT), Orsolya Ihasz (University of Cambridge) and the Facilitator Team welcomed researchers from all over the world (Brisbane, Chicago, Cairo, London, Cambridge, Oxford, Bristol, Innsbruck etc.) to the Bettany Centre for Entrepreneurship in Cranfield. The four-day workshop is hands-on and based on various methods that enable participants to clarify and sharpen the intention and influence of their research. The aim of the programme is to enable researchers to use keynotes and workshops to recognise the value of their research and to articulate the social and economic relevance of their projects.

One highlight was certainly the “Entrepreneurs Panel”, where the founders of Cambridge Silicon Radio (major developer of Bluetooth and GPS technology, sold to US chip manufacturer Qualcomm in 2015 for around 2 billion euros), Phil O’Donovan and Glenn Collinson spoke about their experiences and challenges. In particular, the topic of rapid scaling, the relevance of the team and the burn-out issue in the context of start-ups were discussed with the participants. Another panelist was Prafull Sharma, who participated with his company in the i2i program a few years ago and has now completed an investment round of 1 million pounds with his team.

The most exciting ideas from the fields of Quantum Technology, Aerospace Engineering and Life Science will continue to be observed and accompanied by the I.E.C.T. team. In the last years some participants of the i2i program made it to the I.E.C.T. – Summer School and worked there substantially on the commercialization of their idea.