How does it work?

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The Innovation Factory uses a stage gate process to effectively capture and rapidly evaluate new inventions coming out of The University of Manchester. This process enables the organisation to focus its resources on those innovations which have the greatest chance of generating future social and economic impact.

Opportunities passing through the system must meet certain requirements before they can pass through a gate. Therefore, by the later stages of the process, the value of the project is fully understood, the IP is protected, the value of the opportunity is defined and a commercialisation plan has been developed. The project is therefore in a state where it can be presented to a potential investor or licensee.

The process also lets us proactively share opportunities with companies across the globe. The Innovation Factory continues to engage with licensees and spinout companies even after a deal is completed, to maximise the impact that a piece of research will have.

The Innovation Factory Process

Some cool projects