At LSE Innovation and Impact, we help academics and researchers turn their projects into products and services, either through or with the private or third sectors, to enhance their impact and potentially create a revenue stream that can support future research or provide additional income to the creator and the School.
We support staff across LSE to identify, protect and market innovations. The outcome is usually the licensing of IP to third parties, or the formation of a brad-new for-profit or social ventures (spin-outs).
In addition, we are increasingly connecting our researchers with like-minded partners both here at LSE and at other leading universities (through the Aspect initiative) to unlock wider social impact opportunities.
Why do innovation?
The School is committed to the betterment of society. We want to exploit all opportunities to enhance the impact of our research, and that includes impact through the private and third sectors.
- Create scalable impact from your research
Finding a partner to commercialise your research - through licensing or by creating a spin-out - demonstrates the value of your work to society and can generate valuable impact case studies.
- Grow your network or contacts and ideas for research
We anticipate that engaging with a broader range of research users will have feedback benefits on research opportunities to collect new data.
- Generate revenue from your research
Income which can be generated from commercialising research can be used to sustain and develop research without the need to constantly reapply for grant funding or philanthropic donations.
- Benefit from our expertise and support
We are experts at helping LSE researchers create a beneficial impact from their knowledge and ideas. LSE Innovation guides and mentors you through the process of assessing and developing ideas and inventions into commercial and social venture opportunities.
Why work with us?
LSE Innovation and Impact team can provide all the support you need to take your research to market. Read more about our offerings to learn how we can best support you.
- Assessing the market potential of your idea
- Helping you understand, manage, and protect the intellectual property (IP) underlying your research
- Supporting market validation activities
- Working with you to develop an optimal commercialisation strategy for your idea
- Providing tools to develop a prototype product or service
- Helping you to identify translational funding opportunities
- Helping you to build your idea into an attractive business opportunity
- Negotiating optimal licensing terms and managing any license contracts and revenue generated on your behalf.
What should I do to get started?
To get started on an innovation opportunity, contact LSE Innovation and Impact team via innovation@lse.ac.uk, who will be pleased to discuss your idea.