Tag: University Enterprise Zone

University Spin-out seeks Angel Investors Support Dementia Management SmartSocks™

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A UWE Bristol and University of Bristol spin-out, tech start-up Milbotix Ltd, has announced an investment round to complete the development of SmartSocks™, which track signs of stress and agitation in people with neurocognitive diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.
 
Award-winning start-up Milbotix, which is backed by Alzheimer’s Society, seeks angel investment to complete the development of SmartSocks™ and match grants worth over £1/2 million. The investment will enable Milbotix to help millions of people living with dementia.
 
Angel investor Dean was inspired to invest in Milbotix after witnessing that his late mother, who had dementia, was becoming increasingly agitated and upset. 
 
“Smart socks would have picked up when Mum was becoming agitated and would have helped in the early days of her illness by enabling Dad to deploy the distraction techniques we used to calm her. They would also have helped the hard-pressed care home staff to target their care to her needs and alerted them to her distress when she was alone in her room, enabling them to respond more quickly and help relieve her anxiety.”

Alzheimer’s Society, the UK’s leading dementia charity, says there will be 1.6 million people with dementia in the UK by 2040, with one person developing dementia every three minutes. Dementia is thought to cost the UK £34.7 billion a year. 
 
Agitation and aggression in dementia are often caused by unmanaged pain and anxiety. The SmartSocks™ contain comfortable sensors that measure the wearer’s sweat, pulse, temperature, and motion. They work in conjunction with patent-pending artificial intelligence software and a mobile app that alerts carers to signs of distress.

Natasha Howard-Murray, Senior Innovator at Alzheimer’s Society commented “By taking the form of an everyday item, these smart socks are less stigmatising and invasive than current products and will be easier to use in care settings, helping carers to feel less overwhelmed with multiple tasks.”
 
Commenting on Dean’s investment, founders Dr Zeke Steer and Jacqui Arnold said “We are seeking passionate, impact-oriented investors like Dean to help us revolutionise how dementia care is delivered. Please get in touch if you would like to support the development of the SmartSocks™ product line.”

About Milbotix
Milbotix Ltd is headquartered near Oxford, UK, with offices in Bristol. The company is a spin-out from the University of Bristol and the University of the West of England. Founded by robotics and AI expert Dr Zeke Steer and dementia specialist Jacqui Arnold, Milbotix’s mission is to improve the lives of people with dementia and other conditions that make it difficult for them to communicate distress. Milbotix is partnered with Alzheimer’s Society through their Accelerator Programme.

Zeke and Milbotix have support from UWE Bristol in many ways including a Digital Innovation Fund grant; support through the Launch Space and Future Space programmes, intern recruitment and projects within our University Enterprise Zone.

The Story Behind SmartSocks™
Dr Steer was working as a software engineer in the defence industry when his great-grandmother, Kath, began showing signs of dementia. A gentle person with a passion for jazz music, she became prone to bouts of agitation and aggression after her diagnosis. Realising that technologies like artificial intelligence could revolutionise dementia care, Dr Steer quit his job and completed a PhD at the Bristol Robotics Laboratory so that he could find a way to help people like Kath. 

During his PhD research, he spent some time volunteering with Bristol-based charity St Monica Trust. “I came to see that my great grandmother’s symptoms weren’t an isolated case, and that distressed behaviours are very common,” he explained. “Current alternatives to the SmartSocks™ are worn on the wrist, which presents problems with the devices being removed and causing distress. The SmartSocks™ are comfortable and familiar and exploit the high density of sweat glands on the soles of the feet to more accurately recognise when the wearer is stressed.”

ENDS

For more information and interviews, please contact Zeke Steer at zeke@milbotix.com or on 07887 855393.
www.milbotix.com 

The Centre for Machine Vision working on Detection for Early signs of Digital Dermatitis Lesions and Lameness Within Dairy Cattle

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UWE Bristol’s Centre for Machine Vision (CMV) are the academic partner on an innovative project with Hoofcount to detect early signs of digital dermatitis lesions and lameness within dairy cattle.

Hoofcount is a 10-year-old family business, focusing on how to keep cows’ hoofs clean and healthy. The project is aimed at using machine vision to develop an early detection lameness monitoring system. It has won funding from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), part of Defra’s Farming Innovation Programme, for feasibility studies combining innovation with research and collaboration with farmers and growers.

Hoof health is a prevalent issue in agriculture, particularly in the dairy industry, as it is one of the main factors leading to poor milk production. Dairy cows are susceptible to a range of hoof issues including Digital dermatitis, sole ulcers, white line disease and overgrown hooves. These generally show a visual change in the underside and back of the hoof. These issues can develop initially without the animal showing visual signs in its gait.

The researcher working on the project is Dr Chollette Olisah, Research Fellow in Computer Vision and Machine Learning in the CMV.

John Hardiman, Software Engineer at Hoofcount explained:

“Lameness is a key issue in dairy herds, with conservative estimates of 25% of dairy cattle suffering from lameness and each lame cow costing more than £300 in loss of production and treatment. The Hoofcount footbath is trusted and recommended by farmers vets and hoof trimmers internationally as they are seeing a continuous fall in lameness on farms using the Hoofcount Automatic Footbath.”

Detecting and treating these issues at an early stage is beneficial to the animal in keeping the hooves healthy and preventing severe lameness which leads to a lower production, increased veterinary and treatment costs, reduced animal welfare, a higher Carbon footprint, and many other issues.

Developing a system that can visualise these changes daily and detect any potential issues early will be of huge benefit to the national herd. Utilising computer vision and machine learning is Hoofcount’s preferred method for monitoring and detecting these issues.

“Collaboration with farmers is core to Hoofcount’s continued innovation and leading reputation in reliable foot-bathing for heard hoof health. Agri-EPI Centre has bolstered our collaboration, with the introduction of The Centre for Machine Vision (CMV) at UWE Bristol and successful application for Innovate UK funding (IUK). CMV has a track record of successful computer vision within agriculture. Agri-EPI has been instrumental in the project funding application and continues to support the project organisation with its network of research farms.”

“As with our automatic footbaths, we know that we will never get rid of Digital dermatitis and hoof health issues completely, however we want to do everything we can to minimise the effects of them and reduce the spread.”

Agri-EPI’s Head of Dairy, Duncan Forbes said:

“This is a great example of the sort of practical collaborations we seek to create, bringing together innovative companies like Hoofcount with leading research experts like the team at CMV at UWE Bristol. Early detection of lameness is vital to meeting the challenge of delivering a substantial reduction in lameness prevalence in dairy herds. UK milk producers will very much welcome the benefits to cow welfare and cost reduction that this emerging technical solution will deliver.”

Wenhao Zhang, Senior Lecturer in Machine Vision at UWE Bristol commented:

“Unique challenges arising from a realistic environment, such as a farm, are often underestimated when developing machine vision solutions to real-world problems. The large set of uncontrollable and dynamic variables in complex scenes cannot be tackled by simply applying tweaks to existing offerings.

Development of on-farm technology needs to be driven by fundamental research examining practical constraints in a bespoke way, in order to produce an innovative approach that is reliable, robust, and practicable. In this project, to solve the problem of object detection and classification ‘in the wild’, the opportunity to co-create this technology with different stakeholders and to informed design choices with the best farming practices and a wealth of inter-disciplinary knowledge is truly invaluable.”

The Centre for Machine Vision (CMV) is part of the Bristol Robotics Laboratory. They solve real-world practical computer vision problems. Their particular excellence lies in three-dimensional reconstruction and surface inspection.

Driving Innovation & Accelerating Growth: Focus on Smart Analytics, Digitisation and Robotics

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  • Wednesday 21 September
  • 16:00-18:00
  • Future Space, Frenchay Campus

Hosted by UWE Bristol’s Turing Network and the Research, Business and Innovation team, this event will focus on how Smart Analytics, Digitisation of Services, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Big Data and Robotics can transform your services and products.

Hear case studies applying cutting edge technology to real world problems and identify how this could be applied in your own business context, providing you with a competitive edge for the future.

The event will cover a taster of the following core themes:

  • Agri Tech
  • Fin Tech
  • Green Tech
  • Health Tech
  • Legal Tech

There will be a chance to hear from Innovate UK KTN and the UWE Bristol Turing Network on funding opportunities in the region and how to engage with the expertise from the wider University.

You will gain access to our innovation experts, connect with national funding bodies and other businesses, providing you with the knowledge to find solutions to the challenges you may be facing.

Register your place

Be a part of the next group of aspiring entrepreneurs at UWE Bristol’s Launch Space incubator

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UWE Bristol are on the hunt for the next innovative start-ups and aspiring entrepreneurs to join the high-impact start-up incubator programme.

Over the last 12 months, Launch Space has worked with more than 30 early-stage start-ups as they develop their ideas and grow their businesses. Many of these companies have already gone on to win grants, secure investment, and grow their team.

Based within the University Enterprise Zone (UEZ),  the University’s incubator programmes have to date supported more than 130 early-stage businesses. These businesses have raised £52m and created more than 300 new jobs.

Applications are open until the 17 October 2022 – Find out more and apply here.

What support do I get?

Up to 20 people will be selected for the free programme of support.

If successful with your application, you will be invited to attend an exciting induction day on site in October. You will meet your peers, say hello to the innovation team, and get your first introduction to the science and tech community at Future Space.

During your six months with Launch Space, you will have access to tailored one-to-one support, workshops, networking events, and regular advisor sessions to help bring your idea to life.

Working directly with experienced mentors, you can also gain access to a wide range of contacts, industries, and expertise as you get ready to launch your business.

Who can apply?

Launch Space is open to graduate-led, or early-stage, businesses with high-growth potential. The team are looking for those that are working on new and innovative products and services across four key themes:

  • Health and life science
  • Advanced engineering
  • Digital futures
  • Sustainability and climate change

You might have a great idea you want to put into action, be in the early stages of developing your business, or need help to validate and develop your business further – either way, we are here to support your journey.

Find out more and apply here.

Why join Launch Space?

Launch Space is home to a wide range of businesses at various stages on the start-up journey, and you will be working alongside others who have a common goal of making their vision a success.

Award-winning mentor and Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Mark Corderoy, commented:“Launch Space is the perfect environment to create your start-up – a combination of community and one-to-one support, and a track record of success!”

Aimee Skinner works alongside Mark, overseeing the Launch Space programme and mentoring early-stage businesses. She said “The team has worked with hundreds of businesses over the last few years – the journey is rarely the same! That is why we take the time to work one-to-one with everyone, offering a truly bespoke experience”

Apply now.

Don’t just take it from us – hear what our members have to say

We caught up with the latest members of Launch Space to hear what they think.


Faiza Idris joined Launch Space in May of this year with her business, Fa Byoaqua. Fa Byoaqua is an innovative aquaponic farm which aims to alleviate food production concerns in locations with limited access to clean water.

“According to Forbes, 90% of start-up fails. To mitigate that risk, I decided to join Launch space to give my entrepreneurial journey and FA BYOAQUA ltd a good start by taking advantage of the resources available at launch space.

“Launch space has provided a safe environment where I can learn and grow as an entrepreneur. It enabled me to work with other like-minded entrepreneurs. A critical component of Launch space is its vast network of business experts, partners, and mentors such as Aimee and Mark that can assist my company in flourishing”


Morgan Edmondson is founder of Inchain – Inchain are hoping to help business avoid exposure of sensitive business data with their innovative blockchain solution.

“I joined Launch Space because I was captivated by the environment of entrepreneurs, mentors, and specialists within the program and the support that is offered.

“The support and navigation both technically and commercially through the team at Launch Space, alongside the great working environment have enabled Inchain to progress further and more efficiently day by day”

Gabriela Gomez has been working on her business, Open Labs, to tackle student mental health. Working one-to-one with Gabriela, the Launch Space team have supported Open Labs to apply for a variety of grant funding to help bring them one step closer to a working application.

“I joined the programme to turn my business idea into a reality with the help of mentors and the resources provided by Launch Space.

“Launch Space has allowed me to access invaluable start-up support by connecting me with mentors and an inspiring and supportive community of fellow entrepreneurs”

Organiko are creating universal, traceable, inclusive, and sustainable loungewear. Abbie Lifton, founder of Organiko, joined Launch Space to get support expanding the brand and exploring combined sensor technology.

“7,200 health and fitness facilities are highly populated by synthetic activewear, as 10,000 gym goers choose to abide by social norms, rather than consider traceability and whether their garment could assist in reaching their performance goals. Organiko is looking to change this.

“Launch Space has allowed us to work within a community of like-minded individuals, gain 1-2-1 support and have space for open discussion amongst peers in similar situations”

Rivern Macpherson is founder of Pair 2 Share, providing social and financial perks to restaurant owners and staff with an innovative meal swap solution.

“I began my entrepreneurial journey at Launch Space due to their ability to support me in growing my idea into a business through their fantastic community, mentorship, and facilities on offer.

“Since joining Launch Space, I have gained invaluable knowledge and experience on how to successfully manage a startup, and I am now ready to begin my first pitching round to investors”

If you would like to find out more or speak to the team, email launchspace@uwe.ac.uk

Spotlight on Launch Space businesses

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In October 2021, Launch Space welcomed 16 innovative start-ups to receive business support, incubation, and acceleration services.

Launch Space provides free desk space and business support for aspiring entrepreneurs and early stage businesses. Launch Space is part of the University Enterprise Zone.

Through Launch Space some businesses are eligible to apply for Santander Start-up Grants which aim to remove the financial disadvantage to pursuing the entrepreneurial career path. These grants facilitate the growth of early-stage start-ups, giving them vital funds for an internship, or to develop new products and services.

Following the 6-month programme of workshops, peer learning, advisor sessions, and mentoring, the group were able to apply for the grants in early 2022.

Applications for the next cohort closed on 3 May and will begin on 18 May with a full-day induction where they will meet former members of Launch Space and hear first-hand the experiences they’ve had.

As we prepare to begin Launch Space Spring 2022, we caught up with a few of the Autumn 2021 cohort who were successful in securing these grants to see how they’re getting on.

Andy and Guy, Co-Founders, Target Student

Target Student are building the UKs first digital out-of-home advertising network specifically within student accommodation.

“Our platform will digitise advertising to students – which has traditionally been done through noticeboards and flyers. This also opens up a new channel to brands to advertise on large digital screens.

“We first applied for the Santander funding in 2021, and we got support to get our proof of concept up and running. This involved running the screens in 33 properties in 16 cities, with a reach of 30,000.

“Now we need to test our idea to see if we can measure impact. This additional funding will support with research and development of this stage, to work out which analysis platform to use so we know how many people are viewing our screens. This means we’ll have the hard data to be able to sell advertising space.”

Nicholas Du Preez, Founder AI Assist

AI Assist is a revision application for students. It combines proven study techniques with machine learning to adapt revision to the study needs of the individual student. This enables them to make the most out of their revision time and long-term memory.

“Education traditionally relies on students to memorise large amounts of information in order to pass exams, often with limited notes or information. I experienced this as a student and came up with the idea for AI Assist.

“Developing the idea was fascinating, because a lot of it is centred around understanding psychological research and revision techniques, so that you can create a revision plan that is unique to the individual.

“Everyone has areas they are weaker or stronger in when it comes to studying, and everyone has a different way of learning, so you can use machine learning to understand the best approach, or mix of approaches that is right for that individual. This is what the app does and it has already proven to increase the exam results achieved by 52%.

“The Santander funding will allow me to employ an intern who can support with the next step – turning the idea into a mobile and web application, testing it on students and ultimately improving their revision experience and their grades.”

William Testeil, Co-Founder, Famli

Famli is an app that helps families improve their health and wellbeing in a fun and simple way through engaging activities that cover exercise, nutrition, and mental health.

“Initially we were offering Famli on a B2C basis, but we’ve had a lot of interest from primary schools. This funding will go towards web support so that we can develop our app for teachers – allowing us to have more of an impact as well as providing us with a sustainable business model.

“Before getting to this point, we had been bootstrapped for two years. We’d spent our money developing the app and we were doing other work to cover our personal expenses. Through the support of Launch Space we got an initial grant from Santander, which allowed us to spend our whole working week on the business. This gave us time to hire our technical Co-Founder, which then led to us being eligible for more funding and we secured a £50k grant through Innovate UK.

“Now we’re able to get another round of funding through Santander, which will enable us to bring in new talent. Launch Space sparked a domino effect for us and gave us mentoring throughout this process.

“I’d definitely recommend Launch Space to other entrepreneurs – we’re all going through a similar process and as well the structured support it offers, it’s also just nice to pop in and connect with others going through the same journey.”

Jamie Taylor, Founder, Greener Greens

Greener Greens leverages modular vertical farming to bring the highest quality produce to chefs where and when they need it.

“I heard about Launch Space through UWE Bristol. I missed the first day because I was representing the university at the Santander Entrepreneurship Awards, so I was at Wembley Stadium pitching instead!

“These contacts helped me to bring on my first intern, which opened my eyes to the benefits of getting this support. As a startup you have no money and you need a lot of work done, so that’s why I applied for the funding. Connecting with the other businesses at Launch Space has given me an insight into the skills I need to bring in.

“Now I have the funding I want to find someone who can design mock ups of the software we need for our customers (chefs) to easily interact with our farms, and who can assess the use cases for the application. This work is essential for building our MVP and it is an area that is outside my own skill set.”

Find out more about Launch Space.

Innovative ‘smart socks’ could help millions living with dementia

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Inventor driven to act by great-grandmother’s dementia

  • Milbotix’s ‘smart socks’ sense rising distress in those with dementia, autism and other conditions that affect communication, so their carers can intervene before things escalate
  • Current wrist-worn alternatives can stigmatise and cause more distress
  • Inventor Zeke wanted to help after seeing great-grandmother’s dementia journey
  • He volunteered in a care home and went back to university to research new tech ideas
  • ‘That’s what motivated me: to find her a technological solution that might support care staff and family carers’

‘Smart socks’ that track rising distress in the wearer could improve the wellbeing of millions of people with dementia, non-verbal autism and other conditions that affect communication.

Inventor Dr Zeke Steer quit his job and took a PhD at Bristol Robotics Laboratory so he could find a way to help people like his great grandmother, who became anxious and aggressive because of her dementia.

Milbotix’s smart socks track heart rate, sweat levels and motion to give insights on the wearer’s wellbeing – most importantly how anxious the person is feeling.

They look and feel like normal socks, do not need charging, are machine washable and provide a steady stream of data to carers, who can easily see their patient’s metrics on an app.

Current alternatives to Milbotix’s product are worn on wrist straps, which can stigmatise or even cause more stress.

The Milbotix Smart Socks

Dr Steer said: “The foot is actually a great place to collect data about stress, and socks are a familiar piece of clothing that people wear every day.

“Our research shows that the socks can accurately recognise signs of stress – which could really help not just those with dementia and autism, but their carers too.”

Dr Steer was working as a software engineer in the defence industry when his great-grandmother, Kath, began showing the ill effects of dementia.

Once gentle and with a passion for jazz music, Kath became agitated and aggressive, and eventually accused Dr Steer’s grandmother of stealing from her.

Dr Steer decided to investigate how wearable technologies and artificial intelligence could help with his great-grandmother’s symptoms. He studied for a PhD at Bristol Robotics Laboratory, which is jointly run by UWE Bristol and the University of Bristol.

Dr Zeke Steer

During the research, he volunteered at a dementia care home operated by the St Monica Trust. Garden House Care Home Manager, Fran Ashby said: “Zeke’s passion was clear from his first day with us and he worked closely with staff, relatives and residents to better understand the effects and treatment of dementia.

“We were really impressed at the potential of his assisted technology to predict impending agitation and help alert staff to intervene before it can escalate into distressed behaviours. Using modern assistive technology examples like smart socks can help enable people living with dementia to retain their dignity and have better quality outcomes for their day-to-day life.”

While volunteering Dr Steer hit upon the idea of Milbotix, which he launched as a business in February 2020.

“I came to see that my great grandmother wasn’t an isolated episode, and that distressed behaviours are very common,” he explained.

Milbotix are currently looking to work with innovative social care organisations to refine and evaluate the smart socks.

Charity Alzheimer’s Society says there will be 1.6 million people with dementia in the UK by 2040, with one person developing dementia every three minutes. Dementia is thought to cost the UK £34.7 billion a year.

Meanwhile, according to the Government autism affects 1% of the UK population, or some 700,000 people, 15-30% of whom are non-verbal part or all of the time.

Dr Steer is now growing the business: testing the socks with people living with mid to late-stage dementia and developing the tech before bringing the product to market next year. Milbotix will begin a funding round later this year.

Milbotix is currently a team of three, including Jacqui Arnold, who has been working with people living with dementia for 40 years.

The Milbotix Team

She said: “These socks could make such a difference. Having that early indicator of someone’s stress levels rising could provide the early intervention they need to reduce their distress – be that touch, music, pain relief or simply having someone there with them.”

Milbotix will be supported by Alzheimer’s Society through their Accelerator Programme, which is helping fund the smart socks’ development, providing innovation support and helping test what it described as a “brilliant product”.

Natasha Howard-Murray, Senior Innovator at Alzheimer’s Society, said: “Some people with dementia may present behaviours such as aggression, irritability and resistance to care.

“This innovative wearable tech is a fantastic, accessible way for staff to better monitor residents’ distress and agitation.”

UWE Bristol’s Launch Space open for applications

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UWE Bristol’s Launch Space Incubator is open again for applications from aspiring entrepreneurs and early-stage businesses.

Based within the University Enterprise Zone (UEZ), Launch Space is home to high-tech, innovative start-ups with a strong focus on research and development. Applications are now open for the free business support, incubation, and acceleration services we provide for graduate entrepreneurs and early-stage businesses.

The Launch Space incubator and accelerator could be the place for you if:

  • you have a business idea you’d like to put into action
  • you’re a recent graduate, or in the early stages of developing your idea
  • you need support to validate and develop your business further

With access to communal networking areas, use of professional meeting rooms, and on-site hot-desks, you can get ready to launch your business.

Our new Launch Space programme will kick off with an exciting Induction Day onsite in May. Meet your peers, say hi to our Innovation team, and get your first glimpse of the science and tech community in our University Enterprise Zone.

A weekly programme of pitch events, boardroom advisor sessions and coaching sessions will kick start your start-up journey and help bring your idea to life.

If you’re a graduate entrepreneur, you may also be able to benefit from grants of up to £4,000 to support your new business.

Find out more and apply here.

What our current Launch Space cohort has to say

Launch Space is home to existing graduate-led businesses at various stages on the start-up journey, so you’ll be working alongside others who have a common goal of making their vision a success. We spoke to some of our current members about why they joined Launch Space and what they’ve enjoyed the most.

Jamie Taylor, Greener Greens

Why did you join Launch Space?

The Launch Space program is renowned for supporting early-stage innovation, so I felt this was the natural place for me to be. I would advise future cohorts to embrace the opportunity, attend all the available sessions and utilise the experience of the Launch Space staff and community.

The support from Mark and Aimee exceeded my expectations and I cannot recommend the program enough.

Hazel & Amber, Peequal

What have you enjoyed most about Launch Space?

We’ve enjoyed meeting fellow entrepreneurs who are facing similar challenges. Be up for learning from others and their experiences! You can learn something from everyone.

Being able to bring your questions, challenges and successes to the group has been so encouraging.

Andy & Guy, Target Student

What advice would you give others looking to join Launch Space?

It has been brilliant getting non-biased advice from other founders who are either facing, or have faced, similar challenges. Equally, having access to Aimee & Mark has been incredibly valuable for us and we have learned lots from our time with them.

Commit as much as you possibly can. The more you invest in the programme, the more you will get out.

Find out more about Launch Space and apply here.

University Enterprise Zone supports over 100 innovation start-ups and contributes £17m to Bristol economy, report shows

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More than 100 innovative businesses have been supported by Future Space, launched just five years ago in 2016 by the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol), a new report has revealed.

Managed for the university by Oxford Innovation, Future Space provides office space, labs, workshops, and co-working space at the heart of the University’s main Frenchay Campus.

One of four University Enterprise Zones (UEZ) set up nationally, it was intended to build bridges between innovative, fast growth businesses, academic researchers, and students, sparking new ideas and opportunities.

This new report reveals that the UEZ has supported more than 100 innovative businesses to create 240 new products and services in the region. Between them, the businesses located at the UEZ have raised almost £45m in finance, created 427 jobs and contributed almost £17m to the local economy.

Future Space businesses include university spinouts, student start-ups as well as high tech, science-based businesses attracted from across the UK and internationally. The team behind the space took home the Community Award at last year’s local SPARKies Awards, recognising their contribution to the Bristol tech cluster.

Over 40 UWE Bristol students have completed internships with these businesses, and more than 20 UWE Bristol graduates have gone on to be employed on a permanent basis.

The news comes shortly after Bristol was named the most innovative city in the UK outside of London, while UWE Bristol was named on a list of universities in the UK that have produced the most start-ups.

As well as demonstrating the key role Future Space has played in powering innovation in the region, the report highlights that this success has been achieved due to close collaboration with their members, with UWE Bristol, and with their neighbours the Bristol Robotics Lab and the Health Tech Hub.

Future Space five years impact video

Jo Stevens, Managing Director for Oxford Innovation, says:

“Oxford Innovation are delighted to partner with UWE Bristol at Future Space and very proud of what has been achieved there by the team, in supporting so many innovative businesses to grow and create so many new products and services.

Innovation is the lifeblood of growth in the UK, and Future Space is a great example of the impact that can be achieved through real collaboration between academia and business.

We can’t wait to see what the next five years will bring.”

Martin Boddy, Pro Vice-Chancellor Research and Enterprise at UWE Bristol

“UWE Bristol is particularly proud of Future Space, the businesses it supports and the links that we have built between leading-edge, high-tech businesses, university researchers and our students.

We’re committed to working with and supporting businesses across the region, and Future Space has enabled us to do that on a much deeper level and with real impact.

Future Space has provided many excellent opportunities for our students and the wider community. Joint research has created innovation and jobs, and it has played a huge part in us championing and driving innovation across the region”

CASE STUDY: Indus Fusion – from start-up incubator to health tech innovators

One of the businesses supported by Future Space is Indus Fusion, who hit the headlines recently for their innovative vaccine preparation device. Co-Founder of the business, Arthur Keeling, started out as a student at UWE Bristol where he studied on the Team Entrepreneurship course for three years.

“This course allows you to learn everything you need to set up and run a business alongside your studies.” Arthur says. “When I left university, I wanted to try out a few of the business ideas that I had. Because of the connection between UWE Bristol and Future Space I was able to join the Launch Space incubator programme and get one-to-one mentoring and support to develop these ideas.

“Once we’d developed our ideas into a clear business plan, we were able to apply for funding and investment, which enabled us to grow. We moved into Future Space permanently, where we were able to tap into support from the Bristol Robotics Lab to scope out ideas and access equipment.” Indus Fusion is now focusing on how automation can improve the service in sectors such as food, health and care. Their automated vaccine preparation device is currently being tested in NHS Covid-19 vaccine clinics, with early trials indicating a 40 per cent increase in roll-out capacity.”


UWE Bristol’s contribution to climate action and sustainability

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As the UK host the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), we look at how UWE Bristol are contributing to climate action and sustainability:

With 40,000 students and 3500 employees, we are well aware of our impacts in terms of sustainability and carbon reduction – and well aware of our responsibilities.

We recognised the Climate and Species Extinction Emergencies in 2020, with our board of governors formally signing up to this commitment. Our 2030 UWE Bristol strategy sets out a clear commitment to be carbon neutral by 2030 across key areas. The strategy sets out our commitments across:

  • Carbon neutrality
  • Reducing water and energy use, waste
  • Aim to eliminate single use plastic – signed up to UK Plastics Pact
  • Working towards Clean air and smoke free campuses
  • Looking for year on year reductions in non-sustainable travel
  • Embedding awareness of carbon reduction and sustainability across all of our programmes and prioritising research that addresses these issues

Below is a small snapshot of some of the support we offer businesses and processes we are putting in place to achieve our 2030 carbon neutral goals:

Skills for Clean Growth

Skills for Clean Growth, in partnership with NatWest, will help address the skills needed to deliver the West of England’s net zero ambitions and vision for clean and inclusive growth. It will support SMEs in the region adapt and change as they transition to a low carbon economy, providing the leadership skills needed to build a clean growth strategy; and the knowledge and tools to achieve sustainability.

UWE Bristol and NatWest have shared values around supporting SMEs to achieve net zero, in support of West of England’s ambition to be a driving force for clean and inclusive growth, committing to net zero carbon by 2030.

The scheme, funded by WECA (Workforce for the Future) will address these challenges:

  • Increased demand for green skills – Harnessing the opportunities for innovation and growth
  • Growth in low carbon economy – predicted 11% a year
  • Creation approx. one million jobs nationally
  • Adaption required by high carbon sectors (e.g. building and construction)
  • Mismatch between what is currently provided and what employers need

Innovation support for SMEs

UWE Bristol works in partnership with WECA to identify the growth and regeneration needs of the region, focusing our activity on strategically important sectors such as Clean Growth. 

UWE Bristol has designed, developed, and delivered targeted programmes to support the growth of the region’s strategic priority sectors. We have secured a series of multi-million pound EU funded projects to channel capital grants and business support to SMEs across the region in support of innovation and growth. These have secured £11m for the region, leveraged over £10m of private investment and the university has invested over £3m in these programmes.

Over the past 3 years, UWE Bristol has channelled more than 100 innovation grants – worth £7m and attracting £8m in private sector investment – to fast-growth businesses through our Innovation 4 Growth Programme and other targeted initiatives.  This has secured nearly 1,000 new jobs in the region. The success of this activity is communicated across the local innovation ecosystem and feeds into the design and delivery of our portfolio of future business support programmes including our new Digital Innovation Fund.

Case study:

  • Collecteco works in partnership with UWE Bristol to donate surplus furniture and equipment to good causes and has generated over £363,000 social value and avoided 67 tonnes of CO2 in 2021. They said: “UWE’s support has been invaluable and has ranged from facilitating Scale 4 Growth funding through to them partnering with us to donate surplus furniture and equipment from their estate”

University Enterprise Zone (UEZ)

The University Enterprise Zone(UEZ) based on UWE Bristol’s Frenchay Campus, provides high quality space for 80+ high tech start-up and scaling businesses, employing in excess of 300 people, with access to a robust and vibrant investment community. It is on target to generate 500 jobs, and more than £50m for the local economy. These businesses are supported through targeted innovation support and growth advice.  Focus/gateway is on digital, HealthTech, bioscience and low carbon SMEs.

Case Study:

  • Inheriting Earth (in Future Space) is a sustainable product design company set up by Adam Root, with the mission to stop the flow of new plastic entering our water, trapping plastics shed by clothes in washing machines. They successfully grew their business, attracted investment and recently outgrew Future Space and moved on into their own premises. Read more about Inheriting Earth.
  • Albotherm is another Future Space business and they are focusing on developing technology that provides a solution to address climate change. Albotherm was founded by a team of scientists turned entrepreneurs in 2020 with a vision to bring our planet one step closer to carbon neutral and ensure future food security with their passive cooling technology. They have developed coatings for glass that respond to light and heat and control thermal gain, which reduce the need for air con.

Student Accommodation

We are developing a 2,200 bed student accommodation complex on Frenchay campus, which will be built to Passivhaus standards, the biggest development in Europe built to this exacting energy efficiency standard. The accommodation will have Air-tight fabric combined with air-heat pumps and solar panels. The accommodation will have high air quality and, low running costs, and will also be affordable.

Our Students

We aim to embed understanding of sustainability and carbon literacy across all of our programmes not just the many which are more obviously of direct relevant to the built environment, like environmental management and engineering.  Professor Jim Longhurst, Assistant Vice Chancellor Environment and Sustainability, commented “They are probably ahead of us any anyway, but if we can embed this understanding in all our students they will be committed ambassadors for the next 40,50, 60 years. They are the future – but the future is coming faster than we might like”.

Find out more about Sustainability at UWE Bristol

Future Space Business produces technology to help tackle sustainability and climate change issues

Author Research, Business and Innovation | Posted on

Future Space is part of UWE Bristol’s University Enterprise Zone. They aim to drive the University’s ambitions to prepare students with entrepreneurial skills, spark collaboration between UWE researchers, innovators and entrepreneurs and commercialise the latest research.

Professor Steve West, UWE Bristol Vice-Chancellor and President, said:

“This is the latest venture that sets us apart as a technology-based university focused on generating opportunities for business growth and collaboration.

There is no doubt in my mind that fostering an entrepreneurial atmosphere on our campus is a win for our students and our research community, as we know that by collaborating and nurturing business we create a climate of innovation that has a ripple effect.”

Future Space is part of one of four University Enterprise Zones in the UK. The West of England University Enterprise Zone provides facilities and services to companies specialising in robotics, biosciences, medical technologies and other high tech sectors. 

Albotherm is a member of Future Space and they are focusing on developing technology that provides a solution to address climate change.

Here’s their story:

Albotherm was founded by a team of scientists turned entrepreneurs in 2020 with a vision to bring our planet one step closer to carbon neutral and ensure future food security with their passive cooling technology.

Air conditioning alone currently accounts for 20% of electricity usage from buildings and this is expected to triple by 2050 due to rising global temperatures. Using fossil fuel derived energy for air conditioning traps us in a ‘Catch 22’ as we are further warming our planet, creating even more demand for cooling.

At Albotherm we are developing coatings based on novel polymer chemistry that reversibly transition from transparent to white, passively cooling the structure they coat by reflecting solar radiation in hot weather. We can control the trigger temperature this transition occurs at, between 18 ℃ and 45 ℃ to create optimal conditions in a range of climates. Our technology works without electrical input, cutting down carbon emissions associated with air conditioning and removing our reliance on fossil fuels.

Our first product is a glass coating aimed at the Greenhouse Horticulture market. Greenhouses are designed to extend our growing seasons by increasing growing temperatures during colder months, hence the term “The Greenhouse effect”, however they are consequently prone to overheating in the Summer months.

Currently, greenhouses are painted with chalk based white paints each summer. This is a labour intensive process and also means light levels are reduced even on cooler summer days. Unlike these solutions, our coatings only turn white to shade crops when they risk being damaged by heat. This protects crops while maximising light levels in cooler days, boosting yields in an industry that has historically struggled with razor thin margins.

In the future, we plan to develop products for commercial buildings to reduce carbon emissions associated with air conditioning. At the moment air conditioning accounts for 20% of electricity usage from buildings and 10% of total global electricity usage. By applying our technology to windows and roofs, we can significantly reduce energy usage from these buildings to protect against the impacts of climate change.

Furthermore, another key benefit of our technology is the ease with which it can be retro-fitted. More than half of current global building stock will remain standing in 2050. On top of that, two thirds of UK homes do not meet energy efficiency standards. Is it essential that we improve the sustainability of the buildings we currently have and retrofitting is the only way to do that. As our technology is applied as a coating, it can be easily sprayed onto existing and new buildings.

To get in touch with Albotherm please click here

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