Innovation | Research and External Engagement

Innovation with impact: How a UWE Bristol start-up is using wearable cooling technology to support women’s health

Rima Khatun | 20 March 202620 March 2026

A wearable device developed through three years of research and testing is helping women manage hot flushes – demonstrating how innovation, entrepreneurship and collaboration can translate ideas into real-world impact.

For many women, hot flushes are one of the most disruptive symptoms of menopause – affecting sleep, confidence and day-to-day life. Yet, like many issues when it comes to women’s healthcare, practical solutions remain limited.

At UWE Bristol’s University Enterprise Zone, a start-up called MyCelsius has spent the past three years developing a wearable device designed to provide rapid cooling during hot flushes. The wrist-worn technology delivers targeted cooling within seconds, helping women manage symptoms in a discreet, non-medicinal way. The innovation combines engineering, user-centred design and real-world testing, supported by the innovation ecosystem across Launch Space, Future Space and the Bristol Robotics Laboratory.

For co-founders Max and Aonghus, the goal was clear: create a solution that genuinely improves women’s health and wellbeing.

The Problem

Hot flushes affect millions of women worldwide, yet the everyday impact of the symptom is often underestimated.

The idea behind MyCelsius began when co-founder Max experienced hot flushes linked to stress and anxiety. Early in the company’s journey, the founders joined an incubator programme with healthcare provider Bupa, where they gained deeper insight into the scale of the issue through conversations with women experiencing menopause.

What they heard was striking.

“Hot flushes can disrupt sleep, which leads to fatigue and insomnia,” explains Max. “That then affects concentration, productivity and mental wellbeing.”

For many women, existing solutions were limited.

While hormone replacement therapy (HRT) works well for some, it isn’t suitable or desirable for everyone. Outside of medical treatment, options were often limited to handheld fans or other temporary fixes.

“We realised there was a real gap,” Max says.

“Women deserve solutions that are effective, discreet and designed specifically with their needs in mind.”

The Innovation

Turning that idea into a viable product required extensive research and development.

Over nearly three years, the MyCelsius team conducted more than 1,000 tests and built hundreds of prototypes to refine the technology behind the device.

“We’ve worked with a community of hundreds of women going through menopause,” says co-founder Aonghus. “At every stage we tried to get prototypes onto people’s wrists so they could tell us how it should function, how it should look, and how it should feel.”

This user-centred design approach shaped every stage of development.

Early prototypes were large and bulky; they were functional, but impractical.

“We started with a big, ugly prototype strapped to someone’s wrist,” Aonghus laughs. “Even when it worked, people didn’t want to wear something that large.”

Over time, continuous testing and feedback helped the team refine the design, reducing the size while improving performance.

The result? A compact wearable device capable of delivering rapid cooling to the skin, helping to interrupt or reduce hot flushes. The system uses a miniaturised cooling mechanism designed to deliver significant temperature change within seconds.

Engineering that performance into such a small device was one of the biggest technical challenges.

“It’s easy to increase performance by making something bigger,” Max explains.

“The real challenge was maintaining that cooling power while keeping the device small, stylish and wearable.”

The Impact

Although still early in its journey, MyCelsius is already showing the potential of innovation driven by real user needs.

For the founders, the most rewarding part has been seeing the product make a difference in people’s lives.

“Designing something that genuinely helps people is what we’re most proud of,” says Aonghus.

“After years of development, seeing real users have a fantastic experience with it makes it all worthwhile.”

Voices from the Project

The journey from concept to market has not been straightforward.

“When we started, we genuinely didn’t know if the system was even feasible,” Max says.

Three and a half years later, the device has evolved dramatically.

“We started with something that looked like a prison tag. Now we have a stylish wearable product that’s helping people manage hot flushes.”

For the team, however, this is just the beginning.

“It feels too early to say we’ve achieved everything,” Max reflects. “You climb one mountain and then you see the next one behind it.”

Innovation at UWE Bristol

The MyCelsius journey has been closely connected to UWE Bristol’s innovation ecosystem.

The company has been based within Launch Space, part of the University Enterprise Zone, with additional support from Future Space and the Bristol Robotics Laboratory (BRL).

These environments provide access to workspaces, specialist facilities, technical expertise and business networks that help early-stage companies accelerate their development.

“We’ve been incredibly fortunate to be part of Launch Space, Future Space and BRL,” says Aonghus. “At Launch Space we have access to offices, labs and workshops. At BRL we can learn from experts in electronics and robotics. And Future Space connects us with an incredible network that helps us solve challenges.”

Max agrees the support has been transformative.

“It’s given us the infrastructure and foundation we needed to build the company.”

What’s Next?

Having launched the product recently, the next goal is simple: reach more people.

“We want to get MyCelsius onto as many wrists as possible,” says Max.

As more users adopt the technology, the team plans to continue gathering feedback and refining the product – ensuring the innovation continues to evolve alongside the needs of the people it serves.

For the founders, one milestone stands out.

“The moment I’m looking forward to,” Max says, “is seeing someone wearing MyCelsius out in the street.”

You can learn more about MyCelsius and the technology behind the wearable cooling device.

Discover more RISE stories showing how research, innovation, skills and enterprise at UWE Bristol are creating real-world impact.

The fragile lifeline: Reinventing how we make and move blood

Rima Khatun | 11 March 202620 March 2026

Most of us picture blood donation as simple: book an appointment, donate, have a biscuit, and your blood becomes someone else’s lifeline. But as Episode 13 of the Let’s Talk Health and Care podcast reveals, the reality is far more complex and far more fragile.

In The Fragile Lifeline: Rethinking How We Make and Move Blood, hosts Marc Griffiths and Peter Brindle are joined by Professor Wendy Phillips and Dr Helen Sanderson to explore a question that sits at the heart of healthcare resilience:

What if the future of blood supply isn’t about bigger donations but smarter manufacturing?

Why the blood supply chain is more vulnerable than we realise

Wendy and Helen unpack the hidden complexity behind every blood transfusion. Blood isn’t a single product: it’s separated into components, tested, tracked, and cross-matched with rigorous checkpoints at every stage. And because blood products are highly temperature-sensitive, even a small break in the “cold chain” can mean it becomes unusable.

The episode also highlights how disruption can ripple quickly across the system. From seasonal drops in donor numbers to extreme heat impacting storage conditions, the supply chain is under constant pressure. Wendy points to the seriousness of these risks by referencing an incident where a cyberattack on a third-party supplier had significant knock-on impacts, contributing to shortages and raising concerns about how close the system can come to critical levels.

The message is clear: blood supply is a lifeline but it’s a lifeline with weak points.

Making blood closer to where it’s needed

The conversation then shifts to the future: redistributed manufacturing – producing critical healthcare products closer to the point of need, at the scale required, when they’re required.

Dr Sanderson draws on work with defence partners to explain the logistical reality: blood products often need frequent resupply, have short shelf lives, and rely on refrigerated storage which can lead to waste even as teams must stay prepared for worst-case scenarios.

The innovation isn’t only about the blood itself, either. The episode surfaces a key (often overlooked) point: packaging is part of resilience. If essential medical packaging is sourced from a single nation or relies on fragile materials like glass, that’s another pressure point in an already delicate system.

What innovations are on the horizon?

This episode offers a genuinely fascinating glimpse of what “next” could look like and what might arrive sooner than people expect.

Among the approaches discussed:

Spray-dried plasma, currently being tested and scaled, as a more resilient alternative manufacturing route
“Walking blood banks” in deployed settings, which could provide rapid access to blood, though regulatory and ethical considerations remain
Freeze-dried components, which could reduce reliance on cold storage and simplify transport
Lab-grown red blood cells, still some way off at scale, but increasingly promising for targeted use (such as rare blood disorders)
Steps toward more universal blood, reducing inequalities caused by shortages in blood types needed by specific communities

Importantly, Wendy and Helen emphasise that innovation isn’t just “high-tech science” – it also requires the right systems around it: reliable power, robust equipment, consistent standards, workable regulation, and a skilled workforce.

UWE Bristol’s role: connecting research, regulation and real-world impact

What stands out is how strongly this work reflects UWE Bristol’s strengths: research that crosses disciplines, responds to real-world challenges, and actively shapes practice.

Wendy discusses how the Redistributed Manufacturing in Healthcare network, originally launched before COVID-19, gained new urgency as the pandemic exposed how quickly global supply chains can fail and how vital it is to secure access to critical health products. The team’s work has contributed to shaping thinking in the regulatory space around point-of-care and decentralised manufacturing – an essential step in turning innovation into safe, usable healthcare solutions.

The episode also highlights the role of workforce development, including the way universities and industry partners can collaborate to build the skills needed for future healthcare manufacturing and supply.

Listen now

If you’re interested in the future of healthcare resilience or you’ve ever wondered what really happens after a donation – this episode is worth your time.

The Fragile Lifeline: Reinventing How We Make and Move Blood is available now as part of the Let’s Talk Health and Care podcast series from the Integrated Care Academy at UWE Bristol.

Meet the Civic and Inclusivity team within UWE Bristol.

ripleywk | 2 March 202618 March 2026

We are the Civic and Inclusivity team at UWE Bristol. Our work is shaped by a sector wide understanding that universities play a vital role in contributing to the social, economic, and environmental wellbeing of the places they serve. Our team looks to develop new opportunities for charities, communities and public sector partners. Sat within Research and External Engagement (REE) we enable these organisations to navigate UWE Bristol and all it has to offer, helping them seek out opportunities and find partnerships within the university. We work to ensure that UWE Bristol’s civic activity is purposeful, measurable, and rooted in authentic, proactive relationships with its surrounding communities.

At UWE Bristol, meaningful civic engagement is inseparable from our commitment to equity, antiracism and inclusion. The University has an Anti-Racism Strategy that acknowledges the deep-rooted inequities faced by Global Majority students and staff, outlining a clear need for accountable, institution wide action to dismantle systemic racism. Alongside this, UWE Bristol’s broader equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) commitments prioritise creating inclusive cultures, amplifying staff and student voice, and ensuring that discrimination, bullying, and harassment are actively challenged across the institution. These commitments shape how the Civic and Inclusivity team partners with communities, supports students and works to change practice across the institution.

Bringing these elements together, the Civic and Inclusivity team works across the University. We support colleagues, students, and external partners in co‑creating initiatives that strengthen community connection, widen participation, and ensure that UWE Bristol’s civic mission contributes to positive local change. Our goal is to ensure that UWE Bristol’s role as an anchor institution is lived out in ways that benefit local people, empower marginalised voices, and enrich the University’s relationship with the communities it serves.

Meet the Team:

Allan Macleod Head of Civic and Inclusivity

I’m Allan, I lead the Civic and Inclusivity team at UWE Bristol. Having worked in strategic and community-based partnerships for a number of years I lead the work to coordinate the University’s engagement with local partners across the region. I support academics to incorporate local partners into their research, meet community and charity partners to understand their needs and try to find ways to support them within the University, and work strategically across the institution to shift the ways we operate to become more inclusive and impactful for communities across the region.

I’m the Civic Development Manager at UWE Bristol, where I lead the Civic and Community Engagement Team enhancing students’ experience through in curriculum and extra-curricular activities. I work closely with academic colleagues to embed meaningful, community engaged learning in the curriculum.

I’m passionate about building purposeful, long-term partnerships with Voluntary, Community, or Social Enterprise (VCSE) organisations across Bristol and the wider region. My role focuses on connecting these partners with the university’s research, expertise, talent, and facilities, creating opportunities that enrich student learning, support community priorities, and strengthen UWE Bristol’s civic mission. Connect with me if you’re looking to develop collaborative projects, community‑engaged learning opportunities, or research partnerships that create tangible benefits for students, staff and local communities.

Francesca Romita Civic Development Manager

Georgia Bate, Civic and Community Engagement Coordinator

I’m Georgia, Civic and Community Engagement Coordinator at UWE Bristol. I focus on building mutually beneficial collaborations between charities, civic organisations, and our students. I coordinate initiatives that respond to the ambitions of our partners while giving students opportunities to share their skills, support local communities, and drive positive change.

I’m Kate, the Project Zulu Coordinator at UWE Bristol. I work closely with our partner schools in South Africa and colleagues across the university to support educational and community projects shaped by local priorities. My role includes coordinating overseas opportunities for UWE Bristol students and academics, supporting international partnerships and leading on the biennial Project Zulu Choir tours. I’m committed to building relationships that strengthen education and benefit communities in both the UK and South Africa.

Kate Willis, Project Zulu Coordinator

Samantha Ciardi, Data Analyst

I’m Samantha, a Data Analyst within the Civic and Inclusivity Team, focusing on evaluating the impact of UWE Bristol’s civic work across the City of Bristol. As part of my role, I work part of the time in the City Office at Bristol City Council, analysing the impact of the One City Plan and its approach. Alongside my skills in data analysis and insights, I bring extensive experience in public engagement and co design, ensuring that research and data collection are grounded in genuine collaboration and deliver meaningful, actionable insights

I’m Alicia, the Civic and Community Engagement Officer at UWE Bristol. I work alongside Francesca and Georgia to design, promote, and deliver a diverse range of volunteering opportunities that enhance UWE Bristol students’ employability, enrich their university experience, and support local charities and community organisations in achieving their objectives.

Alicia Hallat, Civic and Community Engagement Officer

Jamie Darwen, EDI Projects Manager

I lead the EDI projects team which aims to improve the experience and outcomes for students who may experience greater barriers to success, supporting UWE Bristol’s Access and Participation Plan and Anti-Racism Strategy. Many of these projects are delivered with partners within or outside of UWE Bristol, providing practice-based opportunities which help to ensure that all our students are able to succeed and thrive.

I’m Jaya the EDI Projects Co-ordinator delivering positive action programmes UWE Equity and UWE Futures supporting Global Majority students to thrive and succeed through activities such as coaching sessions, a mentoring programme and work experience opportunities.

Jaya Mistry EDI Projects Co-ordinator

Steffie Denton, EDI Projects Coordinator

I’m Steffie, EDI Projects Coordinator. I have led cross-university student positive action projects here at UWE Bristol for years, driving institutional change, inclusion, accessibility, and improvements in student outcomes for diverse student groups as aligned with our regulatory commitments to the Office for Students (OfS.) I’m passionate about social justice and demonstrating impact through robust evaluation. Connect with me if you’re looking for specialist knowledge and ideas about designing targeted interventions and projects that remove barriers to success.

I’m Touka Mostafa an EDI Projects Coordinator. I deliver positive action programmes such as The Equity Programme which supports Global Majority Students in thriving and achieving positive graduate outcomes through bespoke coaching sessions, skills workshops and mentoring. I also deliver and implement our Anti-Racism Strategy across REE by developing and running Anti Racist in Practice workshops.

Touka Mostafa, EDI Projects Coordinator

Ilwad Abdi, Graduate Assistant

I’m Ilwad, and I work as a Graduate Assistant on the UWE Futures Programme at UWE Bristol, assisting administration, recruitment, data and marketing. I help improve processes in these areas to increase student engagement, expand partnerships, help Global Majority students access more opportunities during their university life.

Hi, I’m Equity’s Social Media Intern, I build digital visibility for student talent and industry partnerships. Through strategic UWE Equity LinkedIn growth and storytelling, I help amplify access to opportunity and showcase programme impact.

Yan Kay, Social Media Intern

CASE STUDY One: UWE Futures Programme Providing Students with Transformative Professional Experience

UWE Bristol has ran the UWE Futures programme for three years. 23 final-year students from the College of Business and Law and School of Computing and Creative Technologies took part in the most recent week-long work experience placement across leading law firms and UWE Bristol within their professional services teams in the region.

Hosted by Bevan Brittan, Burges Salmon, Clarke Willmott, Foot Anstey, Osborne Clarke, RPC, and UWE Finance, the programme offered students the opportunity to gain invaluable industry insight, engage directly with professionals, and develop a deeper understanding of workplace culture and expectations. Students were also matched with a Mentor to provide advice and guidance until the end of the academic year.

For many of the students, this was their first experience in a professional working environment. While initially daunting, many found that the opportunity provided real-world exposure that helped them to clarify their career aspirations and next steps following graduation.

For more information about UWE Futures or to explore partnership opportunities, please contact: equity@uwe.ac.uk

CASE STUDY 2 – UWE Bristol Community Fund, supporting students and staff to support our region’s communities

In partnership with The Quartet foundation, the Civic and Inclusivity team coordinate and distribute the UWE Bristol Community Fund which awards grants of up to £3,000 for community partnership projects.

This initiative aims to support projects which help to build relationships between staff, students and local communities. We are always looking to: develop opportunities for students to volunteer in the local community; enhance teamwork, communication and project management skills; enhance student learning through practical, community-based projects; deliver significant impact for the West of England region.

Applications must be led by a current UWE Bristol student or staff member and identify a lead community partner. If you have a good idea and are seeking a suitable community partner, the UWE Bristol Fund and civic engagement team can help with this. The project must benefit communities in the region’s four local authorities – Bristol, Bath and Northeast Somerset, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire. The fund give priority to projects that focus on schools and education, sustainability, stronger communities or health and wellbeing.

To learn more about the fund, to submit an expression of interest form or to get in touch with the team, please visit the UWE Bristol Community Fund webpages.

If you’d like to learn more about any of the work highlighted above, explore potential partnerships, or discuss how we can support your organisation or community, we’d love to hear from you. The Civic and Inclusivity team is here to help you navigate opportunities at UWE Bristol, connect with the right people, and co‑create initiatives that make a meaningful difference across our region.

Please get in touch with one of us or visit our webpages to start a conversation. We look forward to working with you.

Innovation with Impact: What is a Knowledge Transfer Partnership and Why it Drives UK Innovation

bethjohnson | 30 January 202630 January 2026

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) are one of the UK’s best-kept secrets in innovation, quietly transforming businesses for decades.

For over 50 years, they’ve helped companies turn ideas into practical solutions with real-world impact, creating more than 14,000 projects and boosting the economy by £2.3 billion.

KTPs continue to deliver not only because they provide access to funding, but because they embed expertise, build capability, and deliver measurable change. In an environment where companies are under constant pressure to keep evolving, KTP is the initiative that consistently delivers the tools to do exactly that.

Why KTPs work

Unlike traditional funding schemes, KTPs also prioritise delivering a partnership and provide ongoing support. With an 87% success rate, this easily makes them one of the UK’s most effective innovation programmes.

At the centre of every KTP is a unique three-way collaboration between:

A business looking to innovate and grow.
An academic institution with cutting-edge expertise.
A graduate associate who brings fresh skills and energy.

This isn’t just a theory. Associates work full-time in the company, supported by academic experts and an Innovate UK Knowledge Transfer Adviser. It’s a system designed to deliver projects and build lasting capabilities.

Why do UWE Bristol do them so well?

UWE Bristol’s dedicated KTP Team has supported over 100 successful projects in the last 20 years. Our academics bring strengths across disciplines from robotics to marketing delivering projects that advance innovation, sustainability goals, community impact, and regional development.

This expertise is supported by state-of-the-art facilities across our three campuses, with £300 million invested in the last five years to create spaces that inspire collaboration and creativity.

UWE Bristol’s infrastructure and dedicated KTP Team support the full project journey delivering better outcomes, stronger partnerships, and long-term impact.

Proof is in the results

A recent example is UWE Bristol’s award-winning African Agriculture KTP with Taro Agric and Obafemi Awolowo University. The project developed Internet of Things (IoT) enabled devices and smart dashboards to support the digital transformation of poultry farms, improving operational efficiency and animal welfare. Early outcomes showed potential for improved business performance and enhanced digital agriculture skills among more than 100 farming participants from various local communities. The KTP highlights how innovation can drive more sustainable agricultural practices.

Or look at Viper Innovations. Recognising the potential beyond subsea oil and gas for their cable‑monitoring technology, CableGuardian®, the company used a KTP to identify new opportunities in rail. The partnership embedded new innovation practices and aligned CableGuardian® with an emerging rail safety standard, resulting in successful trials, strong stakeholder buy-in and growing international interest.

In just 18 months, Viper reshaped its market strategy, strengthened product development, and laid the foundation for global expansion. Building on the success of this initial KTP, Viper later undertook a second KTP focused on generating greater insight from live data and enhancing the CableGuardian® service offering, which contributed to strengthening the company’s commercial proposition.

The impact of the initial KTP is already clear through UK installations, new strategic partnerships in the rail sector, and embedded capabilities that enhance product design and strategic planning, delivering real benefits for customers, including fewer delays, reduced penalties, and lower maintenance costs.

The secret to success

Let’s be clear, not every partnership is right for a KTP. KTPs are most successful when all of the partners are truly aligned. If a business brings a clear strategic need, academics offer relevant expertise, and the associate drives delivery, innovation will follow. With open communication and commitment from all partners, the outcome is long-term, transformational impact.

Why businesses should get involved

With Innovate UK covering up to 67% of project costs, the financial risk is significantly reduced, giving the business freedom to reap the other rewards of the programme. Those rewards are substantial. Remember: You’re not only unlocking funding for a project; you’re embedding expertise, creating intellectual property, and opening doors to new markets. In a world where innovation drives competitiveness, KTPs offer a practical route to staying ahead.

KTPs aren’t just another government programme. They’re the UK’s best-kept secret for driving innovation, building resilience, and future-proofing businesses. The evidence and outcomes are clear. If you have a project in mind, contact UWE Bristol’s KTP Team:

Email KTP@uwe.ac.uk or visit the KTP webpage.

Accelerated Knowledge Transfer Associate Spotlight: Leila Powell

bethjohnson | 15 December 202515 December 2025

Leila Powell is a Community Engagement Researcher working on an Accelerated Knowledge Transfer (AKT) project with Via, tackling one of society’s most complex challenges: drug and alcohol dependency and its wider impacts.

Inspired by the Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) model, AKT creates short-term collaborations between businesses and UK knowledge bases to accelerate innovation over two to four months. Co-funded by Innovate UK, this initiative aims to deliver rapid, high-impact solutions.

Via’s Innovation & Research Unit (IRU) ensures the charity delivers high-quality, evidence-based support by partnering with organisations like UWE Bristol to design and evaluate interventions that meet real needs.

Leila’s AKT project takes a distinctive approach by examining how individuals affected by drugs and alcohol engage with community resources and identifying what helps or hinders that connection. Supported by the Centre for Public Health and Wellbeing at UWE Bristol, the team aims to uncover key factors influencing engagement and develop a practical tool that empowers service users, strengthens pathways to holistic support, and overcomes potential barriers.

The KTP team at UWE Bristol recently caught up with Leila to hear about her AKT experience so far:

About Leila

My academic background includes a BSc (Hons) in Biomedical Sciences and an MSc in Public Health, which have shaped my enthusiasm for improving health outcomes through evidence-based approaches. Outside of work and academics, I enjoy playing volleyball and have previously been involved in volunteer work at the university, which strengthened my commitment to community-focused initiatives.

What attracted you to the position?

I was writing my MSc dissertation and working as a part-time multidisciplinary intern between Bristol Business School and the Centre for Public Health and Wellbeing (CPHWB) when I found out about this opportunity. Dr Amy Beardmore – the project lead, and my MSc programme lead – encouraged me to apply, which was incredibly validating as a soon-to-be graduate. Being able to implement my newfound skillset in a meaningful way before my graduation ceremony has felt like such a timely opportunity.

The goals of the project have resonated with me. Helping people is a reason I pursued my BSc in Biomedical Sciences in the first place, after seeing what occurred during the pandemic and how people were disproportionately affected. Looking ahead, I aspire to pursue a mixed-methods, multidisciplinary PhD with the CPHWB, and this role is the perfect stepping stone. These desires, along with my value of problem-solving, align with this AKT project.

What are you most looking forward to?

I’m excited about:

Contributing to a collaboration between UWE and Via.
Helping to build a (hopefully) long-term relationship between Via and UWE, where future students can continue this research and develop the project further.
Achieving milestones that will make a tangible difference for service users.
Gaining personal and professional development opportunities that will shape my future career.

How is the partnership between UWE Bristol and the company working?

The collaboration between UWE and Via has been positive and productive. We’ve had one planning meeting in London, and recently held our first workshop, which was co-designed by both teams. This session was incredibly insightful, as it allowed us to hear first-hand experiences from individuals, giving us a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities in accessing community assets.

Having both academic and community support ensures that our research is practical, innovative, and grounded in real-world needs.

What are the major benefits/support available from UWE Bristol?

Working with UWE offers:

Mentorship and guidance from academic supervisors: being able to work at a hot-desk office space in the CPHWB means I’m physically embedded within the team, and able to chat to staff for support or advice. This also provides frequent opportunities to discuss future career or PhD aspects.
Support from the KTP office: they are amazing with my (many) questions!
Access to expertise and resources, including staff facilities (yes, even the coffee machines!)

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I love the learning opportunities and the collaborative workplace culture. Not being able to go a day without having a conversation with at least one member of staff is very lovely. My past lecturers and supervisors are so keen to see me succeed, so it’s equitable to having positive affirmations thrown my way every day. Little things, like the team Christmas dinner that I was invited to before even starting my position, make the experience more special. Most importantly, I feel a sense of purpose, knowing that my work contributes to broader public health goals.

Conclusion and reflections

I’m enthusiastic and committed to making the most of this opportunity. The AKT partnership represents innovation, sustainability and early career development, all of which are crucial for shaping the future of public health research. Looking ahead, I’m excited about the potential impact of this project and the personal growth it will bring, not just for me, but for future students who may continue this work.

Let’s Talk Health and Care: 10 Episodes, 15 Guests, Countless Insights

Rima Khatun | 3 December 20253 December 2025

A year in conversation, connection and compassion

What started as a conversation between two colleagues has grown into a podcast series that’s now carved out its own place in UWE Bristol’s health and care landscape.

Across 10 episodes, Let’s Talk Health and Care – hosted by Professor Peter Brindle and Professor Marc Griffiths – has taken listeners from 3D-printed food to neighbourhood health hubs, from smart socks to social justice. Along the way, it’s offered something rare in the world of systems, strategies and innovation: the human stories behind the headlines.

As Peter reflects:

“What I enjoyed most was hearing the personal stories behind the innovations – what motivated people to get into their line of work, and what keeps them going through difficult times. Behind every innovation, there’s a human story.”

From robots to real life

Over the past year, the Let’s Talk Health and Care podcast has given us a window into the people, projects and partnerships that are driving meaningful change across health and care.

Through conversations with founders, clinicians, academics and community leaders, we’ve explored how lived experience is fuelling innovation and how services are being reshaped not just around need, but around place, trust and compassion.

Across the series, we’ve seen how the podcast aligns with UWE Bristol’s civic mission and the ICA’s core values, bringing research and real life closer together:

Assistive tech and prosthetics powered by AI (Episodes 8 & 9)
Community-led health and neighbourhood models (Episodes 4 & 10)
Digital innovation grounded in compassion (Episodes 3, 5 & 6)
Honest conversations about inclusion, trust and cultural change (Episodes 2 & 7)

Each guest has brought their own insight – not just into what works, but why it matters.

A place to listen, learn and reflect

Whether you’re in healthcare, research, education, or just curious about the future of care, the series offers a genuine, thoughtful space to pause and reflect on where we’re going and who’s taking us there.

If you’re new to the podcast, this is the perfect time of year to catch up.
And if you’ve been with us from the beginning – thank you for listening, sharing, and helping us grow.

Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or SoundCloud

Introducing the 2025 Entrepreneurial Futures Award Winners

ripleywk | 2 December 20252 December 2025

Guest Writer Lily Majid Student Ventures

Thanks to the incredible generosity of UWE Bristol alumnus Peter Fane, who donated £250,000 to support our entrepreneurial ecosystem over five years, we’re proud to announce the 2025 recipients of the Entrepreneurial Futures Award. Each winner receives up to £20,000 in funding, plus tailored support from our Student Ventures team. These are resources that can make all the difference at the start of someone’s entrepreneurial journey.

This year’s cohort represents the remarkable breadth of innovation emerging from UWE Bristol. From marine conservation technology to regenerative agriculture, accessibility enhancing performance systems to AI powered recruitment solutions, these ventures are working across the board with creativity, technical expertise, and great social impact.

What unites these diverse entrepreneurs is their commitment to building sustainable businesses that matter. Each has demonstrated their entrepreneurial ability through UWE Bristol’s support programmes and shown a clear vision for growth beyond graduation.

Find out more about each of the Entrepreneurial Futures Award fund recipients below.

Entrepreneurial Futures Award winners 2025

Benjamin Mallinson – Signal Bridge

Signal Bridge is changing the way we collect underwater sound data. Traditional methods depend on surface buoys and frequent trips to retrieve recordings, which are expensive, risky, and often create noise that affects data quality. Signal Bridge solves these problems with a smart module that stays deep and quiet, only coming to the surface when it needs to send data or recharge using solar power. This simple approach cuts costs, reduces environmental impact, and delivers cleaner, more reliable acoustic data for marine research.

The system works seamlessly with existing Passive Acoustic Monitoring setups, allowing scientists to track ocean ecosystems for longer periods without interruption. By bridging the gap between sensors and researchers, Signal Bridge makes high-quality data collection easier and more scalable – helping us better understand and protect marine environments worldwide. With this innovative technology, ocean intelligence is becoming more accessible, affordable, and impactful than ever before.

Katie Hounsham – Barraquito

Barraquito is redefining Southampton’s coffee culture. Launched in July 2025, this independent specialty coffee and bar concept was created to tackle the city’s “Third Place Deficit” – the lack of welcoming spaces beyond home and work. In just three and a half months, Barraquito has become a local favourite, serving over 8,000 coffees and earning a 98.5% five-star review rate. By focussing on exceptional service, quality products, and genuine community engagement, they offer more than great coffee; it’s a vibrant social hub where people can connect, relax, and feel at home.

The mission behind Barraquito is bold: to lead a transformation in hospitality by creating a space where people feel welcome and connected. The team believes great coffee and brilliant service should go hand in hand with a strong sense of community. As they grow, their vision is to bring this experience to more cities across the UK, proving that hospitality can be warm, authentic, and consistent no matter the scale.

Billy Barker – Arquip

Arquip is reinventing the welding mask for a safer, smarter future. For decades, welding masks have barely changed – it’s bulky, limits visibility, and makes training harder. These outdated designs contribute to thousands of eye injuries every year. Arquip was born from real-world experience to solve these problems. Its next-generation mask uses dual cameras and a high-resolution digital display to give welders a clear, unobstructed view of their work. Trainees can see more, instructors can teach more effectively, and businesses benefit from reduced risk and downtime.

Since launching in early 2025, Arquip has moved quickly from concept to prototype. Now, with a fully sourced dual-camera stereoscopic design in development, the team is preparing for field testing with welding training centres already expressing interest. Arquip’s mission is simple: make welding safer, easier, and more efficient – starting with the mask that every welder depends on.

Christopher Russell Middleton – Mycobiome

Farming starts with healthy soil – and MycoBiome makes that possible through science. This biotechnology company is developing advanced biofertilisers that boost soil health, improve nutrient uptake, and reduce reliance on chemical inputs. Their approach combines microbial inoculants with expert advisory services, delivering measurable benefits like better yield stability, increased soil carbon, and long-term land resilience.

Behind MycoBiome is a multidisciplinary team blending engineering, mycology, and agricultural expertise. Since its launch, the company has initiated field trials with early adopter farms, designed a business model that integrates carbon credit schemes, and built partnerships with research institutions. Their mission is clear: make science-driven soil solutions accessible to every farmer, and lead the UK’s transition toward regenerative agriculture. By turning cutting-edge microbiology into practical tools, MycoBiome is paving the way for a future where farming works in harmony with nature.

Faizan Mir – Scootrr

Scootrr is making e-scooter riding safer and smarter. Micromobility is booming in cities, but with that comes challenges – high accident rates, risky rider behaviour, and compliance issues. Scootrr tackles these problems with an innovative on-vehicle camera system powered by Edge-AI. It spots hazards in real time, moderates speed, and encourages safer riding – all without relying on slow cloud systems. The hardware is designed to fit easily into existing scooters, making it simple for operators to upgrade their fleets.

In just a short time, Scootrr has shipped its first prototype to Voi, secured interest from major operators, and is preparing for pilot programs in Bristol. By combining cutting-edge technology with practical design, Scootrr is helping cities and operators reduce accidents, improve rider safety, and build trust in micromobility. It’s a big step toward making urban transport not just convenient, but truly safe.

Michael Fergie – Haptek

Haptek brings a new sensory layer to concerts, theatre, and immersive arts: sound you can feel. This tech venture is developing next-generation haptic floor systems that turn audio into precise vibrations and synchronised lighting. Their modular platform, Haptagon, creates environments where audiences don’t just hear music or performance – they experience it physically. Designed to be scalable and event-ready, Haptek’s system enhances engagement while making events more inclusive for d/Deaf, Disabled, and Neurodiverse audiences.

Haptek is led by Michael Fergie, who brings over a decade of experience in sound and haptic technology, including five years creating haptic floor systems for major UK venues like the Southbank Centre and Roundhouse Theatre. With strong feedback from accessibility advocates and immersive experience designers, Haptek is setting the stage for a future where performance is multi-sensory and shared by everyone. By combining cutting-edge engineering with inclusive design, Haptek is redefining what it means to feel the music.

Oliver Tyler – Shroot and Kabloom

From wildflower seed bombs to microgreen kits, Shroot creates eco-friendly, growable gifts that are as practical as they are beautiful. Designing and manufactures growable gifts across a small house of brands: Seedbom/Kabloom, Greens & Greetings, Bottle Farm, and Wildflower Wishes. Every product is assembled in-house to maintain quality and speed, using responsibly sourced materials like coir, a coconut by-product that supports fair trade in Sri Lanka and India. Their wildflower mixes are 100% wildflower and tailored for UK conditions, making each product a simple way to create habitats and support biodiversity.

Since acquiring the business in 2022, founder Oliver Tyler has grown Shroot into a trusted name with over 1,100 stockists and 850 brand partners, including Harrods, Liberty London, Kew Gardens – while scaling corporate campaigns with Vodafone and TK Maxx to tens of thousands of units. With 20% of profits funding Wild Britain, Shroot isn’t just creating gifts, it’s buying and protecting UK land for rewilding. Their vision is to become the UK’s leading eco gift house and a top 100 landowner for reviving nature.

Pedro Do Rosario – Rosent

Rosent is transforming recruitment by giving recruiters their time back. Instead of spending hours on repetitive admin tasks, recruiters can now focus on building relationships and closing deals. Rosent’s AI voice platform automates the most time-consuming parts of the job, freeing up nearly half a day and unlocking the potential to double billable revenue. This isn’t just efficiency; it’s a shift that can refine productivity and profitability in recruitment.

In just four weeks, Rosent attracted over 1,000 sign-ups to its waitlist and earned recognition as one of EU-Startups’ “Top 50 Promising Early-Stage Startups in Europe.” They are gaining traction in a market eager for smarter, faster solutions with their simple mission: make recruitment more efficient, more human, and more impactful by letting AI handle the heavy lifting.

Samuel Hodgson – Enviro IT

Enviro IT gives technology a second life whilst reducing e-waste. Based at UWE Bristol, the company refurbishes redundant IT equipment from local SMEs – primarily laptops – making high-quality, durable devices accessible to students, families, charities, and professionals at prices starting from £150. Unlike low-cost, short-lived alternatives, these refurbished devices are built to last, promoting reuse over replacement and cutting environmental impact. Every collection includes secure data destruction using industry-standard tools, with GDPR-compliant certificates for peace of mind.

Founded by Sam Hodgson, a Team Entrepreneurship graduate passionate about reducing IT waste, Enviro IT has already generated over £16,000 in revenue and sold more than 1,200 items through platforms like eBay. Their vision is to become Bristol’s leading IT recycling and refurbishing company – partnering with sustainability initiatives, creating training opportunities, and donating devices to those in need. By combining affordability, security, and sustainability, Enviro IT is proving that technology can be both accessible and responsible.

William Crewe-Turrell – Bio Drive/Bio-Agri Ltd

Bio-Agri Ltd is addressing one of the UK’s biggest agricultural challenges: over 100 million tonnes of organic waste produced annually by farms and anaerobic digestion (AD) plants. Conventional treatment systems are costly and inaccessible for smaller operators, leading to nutrient loss, water pollution, and rising compliance pressures. Their solution, the Bio-Recover System, is a compact, modular unit that transforms waste into clean water, liquid fertiliser, and dry compost-like solids. Designed for affordability and scalability, Bio-Recover helps farms and AD plants cut costs, meet environmental regulations, and embrace a circular economy.

Their vision is to make nutrient and water recovery as common on farms as tractors—an everyday tool that supports sustainable agriculture and energy. Over the next five years, they aim to roll out Bio-Recover units across the UK, proving that advanced waste treatment doesn’t require high cost or complexity. Looking ahead, Bio-Agri sees global potential, turning organic waste into a resource for clean water, affordable fertiliser, and renewable energy – reducing emissions, restoring water quality, and strengthening food and energy security worldwide.

To all our 2025 winners: congratulations, and here’s to your continued success. The future looks bright.

Want to follow in their footsteps? Keep an eye on the Student Ventures webpage for information about future Entrepreneurial Futures Award opportunities and other support programmes available to UWE Bristol entrepreneur

Enterprise that fuels progress: Bristol Sanctuary Theatre, Supporting Refugees Through Creative Expression.

ripleywk | 28 November 20252 December 2025

Renata Mendes is the founder of Bristol Sanctuary Theatre, a community-led company that supports refugees and migrants by creating a platform for joint artistic expression and co-creation. Bristol Sanctuary Theatre helps its community with integration and healing through the creation of original theatre works.

About the project

Bristol Sanctuary Theatre began when Renata, a UWE Bristol Drama and Acting student with a background in psychology and anthropology, connected her own experiences as an immigrant with the challenges faced by refugees and migrants in Bristol. Working with Dr Fahrudin Salihbegovic, who had been supporting refugees and migrants through drama, Renata witnessed people flourish through the art.

“I met a bunch of lovely people who are refugees and migrants, so for them it’s even harder… I say, what can we do here? What can we create?”

From there, Bristol Sanctuary Theatre was born, a Community Interest Company (CIC) with support from UWE Bristol’s Student Ventures programme.

Partnership in action

As Bristol proudly holds Sanctuary City status and UWE Bristol is a University of Sanctuary, Bristol Sanctuary Theatre builds on this foundation of welcome and support. The project brings together UWE Bristol, which provides academic support and student involvement through the Drama and Acting programme, alongside City of Bristol College, which engages refugee and migrant students in creative work. Bristol Beacon hosts performances and provides a platform for voices to be heard, while Bristol Refugee Festival helps connect the work with wider community initiatives.

In June, the company delivered a powerful performance at Bristol Beacon featuring refugee students from City of Bristol College alongside UWE students.

“We performed a play at Bristol Beacon about refugees with refugees, they are students at Bristol College … (it was a) really beautiful achievement for us, with very, very positive feedback… the audience cried and laughed so it was really yeah fulfilling our heart I would say.”

Aims and impact

Bristol Sanctuary Theatre creates a safe, inclusive space where cultural differences are celebrated rather than sidelined. Through storytelling and creative expression, the project challenges harmful narratives about refugees and migrants whilst providing opportunities for skill development and artistic growth. At its core, the work builds connections between diverse communities across Bristol, fostering understanding and respect. “The most important value we want to create,” Renata emphasises, “is a community that can accept the difference.”

Building confidence and capability

UWE’s Student Ventures programme has been instrumental in developing the enterprise. “Of course, there’s the budget,” Renata notes. “But also, and I think it’s the most important, were the mentors.”

The support helped Renata develop a clear mission, vision, values, and business plan. “They never told me, do that. You should do that. They said, there’s all those ways and you can choose. So it was really a freedom of choices but educated choices.”

For Renata personally, studying Drama and Acting at UWE was “really a revelation.” She found her voice and creativity while being embraced by staff and students. “I was thinking, am I going to a university in England? It must be so hard. It was the opposite. It was super lovely. It’s an explosion of creativity.”

Next steps

Bristol Sanctuary Theatre is now expanding to work with adults who have creative arts backgrounds, creating what Renata calls “a point of trust for them to come.”

“Bristol Sanctuary Theatre that’s not theatre, it’s arts,” she says with excitement. “And I’m very excited, I think it’s going to be brilliant.”

Bristol Sanctuary Theatre’s vision is a UK cultural landscape where the voices of refugees and migrants are essential, not sidelined—reclaiming narratives and celebrating new voices through collaborative art.

Meet the Business and Alumni Partnerships Team at UWE Bristol

bethjohnson | 25 November 202525 November 2025

Since our formation in Spring 2025, our team has been dedicated to building meaningful connections between UWE Bristol, our alumni community, and the wider business world. We exist to create and nurture partnerships that deliver real value – for our collaborators, our university, and our students.

Working across key sectors such as healthcare, engineering, and the creative industries, we support a wide range of partners – from recent graduates to established organisations – by understanding their goals, identifying opportunities, and guiding them through the unique landscape of higher education. We know that navigating a large university can be daunting, and we’re here to make that journey easier.

Whether you’re looking to host student placements, raise your company’s profile on campus, collaborate on research and innovation, or explore funding opportunities, our team is ready to help you make it happen. Below, you’ll meet the people behind the partnerships – each bringing their own expertise and passion to the table.

We look forward to connecting with you.

Meet the team

Verity Graham

I’m Verity and I lead the team, focussing on both alumni and business partnerships. Outside of higher education, my background is in Financial Services, and I now support our partnerships that fall under the umbrella of Professional Services – from finance and banking to law and consulting, I’m keen to work with businesses of all sizes to support their needs, and engage with alumni in these sectors for mutually beneficial opportunities.

Robert Hicks

I’m Rob, Business Partnerships Manager for Clean Energy at UWE Bristol. With an academic background in sustainable innovation, I focus on building strategic, mutually beneficial partnerships between the University and organisations across the sustainability sector. Whether you’re seeking research collaboration, student and graduate engagement, or workforce upskilling (or all of the above!), please do get in touch.

Jonathan Hall

I’m Jon, Partnerships Manager for Healthcare and Health Tech. I have extensive experience working with healthcare providers, health tech start ups and academics in this space. My background is in Skills and Apprenticeships but I’m also on hand to talk to employers about research, funding bids and activities that get you in front of our amazing students and graduates!

Amelia Davies

I’m Amelia, the Partnerships Manager for Advanced Engineering & Defence at UWE Bristol. I use specialist knowledge and insights to facilitate strategic collaborations and partnerships across industry and academia, driving innovation, student engagement, and regional growth. Let’s connect and explore how we can make a difference together.

Keily Elvin

I’m a Business Development Manager at UWE Bristol, working across agri-food tech and creative tech. I build meaningful connections between businesses and the university, helping drive innovation, collaboration, and growth. I’m passionate about unlocking potential through partnerships that make a real impact across sectors and communities.

Natalie Welch and Rose Adderley

We help alumni to stay connected with UWE Bristol – whether that’s for your personal career development, supporting your business, or helping our students succeed. We’re always on the lookout for great alumni speakers and success stories across all sectors, so if you’re an alum please update your details and keep in touch.

Case studies

Accelerated Knowledge Transfer (AKT) partnership

UWE Bristol recently announced a new Accelerated Knowledge Transfer (AKT) partnership with Bristol Drugs Project, co-funded by Innovate UK. This collaboration aims to develop and trial a digital communications campaign to facilitate engagement with early intervention in ketamine dependency. The development of the campaign will involve researching barriers to users’ engagement with the night/festival programmes, developing effective messaging and identifying media and influencers through which the campaign may be delivered.

This partnership was initiated after identifying Innovate UK’s AKT theme a funding theme on reducing harm from drug and alcohol use, and the team engaged with Bristol Drugs Project through existing networks to connect with their CEO, Lydia Plant. Working collaboratively, we explored their business needs and identified the project that would best support their objectives in this area. We’re confident this project will be highly beneficial for both organisations and pave the way for future collaborations. Find out more about Bristol Drug Project and the collaboration in our UWE blog.

Collaborative research partnership

UWE Bristol partners with businesses across sectors to deliver collaborative research that drives innovation and growth, combining academic expertise with industry insight to solve real-world challenges. For example, a joint PhD with a pharmaceutical company led to breakthroughs in microbial biofilm testing, resulting in new products and commercial licensing. In another project, UWE worked with the Office for National Statistics to develop an AI-driven tool that improved data quality and confidentiality, reducing the risk of breaches.

Research collaboration can take many forms, and the Business and Alumni Partnerships team is ready to connect you with the right expertise to address the challenges most relevant to your business.

Please get in touch at uwebusiness@uwe.ac.uk to connect with us.

UWE Bristol announce new Accelerated Knowledge Transfer with Bristol Drugs Project

Rima Khatun | 21 November 202521 November 2025

UWE Bristol is delighted to announce a new Accelerated Knowledge Transfer (AKT) partnership with Bristol Drugs Project, co-funded by Innovate UK. This collaboration aims to develop and trial a digital communications campaign to facilitate engagement with early intervention in ketamine dependency. The development of the campaign will involve:

Researching barriers to users’ engagement with the night/festival programmes.
Developing effective messaging.
Identifying media and influencers through which the campaign may be delivered

Ketamine use has risen dramatically among young people across the UK in the past few years. There is very little research around the methods and messages we use to engage people around their drug use. This campaign will bring together the expert support that BDP offer people who use drugs in Bristol with the expert researchers at UWE Bristol to develop a body of evidence around what messages connect with people who use ketamine with the aim of engaging them in treatment earlier to prevent long term physical health issues.

About Bristol Drugs Project Limited

Bristol Drugs Project (BDP) is a charity providing harm reduction and treatment for people who are experiencing a negative relationship with drugs and/or alcohol. With 39 years of experience, their goal is to support people towards the changes they want to see in their lives no matter what they may be.

BDP strives to support all members of Bristol in an open and inclusive service and are passionate about challenging the stigma faced by people who use drugs and alcohol wherever BDP see it.

The Project

With specialist support from the academic team based in the Bristol Business School at UWE Bristol, the project aims to increase engagement with the Bristol Drugs Project’s ketamine harm reduction interventions, via the application of social marketing (behaviour change) principles and digital marketing techniques.

“BDP are proud to deliver evidence-based interventions for people in Bristol around their drug and alcohol use. This project offers us an amazing opportunity to develop a body of evidence that will improve people’s engagement and experiences in treatment around their ketamine use. We are very proud to partner with researchers from UWE Bristol on this project.”

Lydia Plant – CEO of Bristol Drugs Project

Co-Funded by Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency. Innovate UK drives productivity and economic growth by supporting businesses to develop and realise the potential of new ideas. Innovate UK is part of UK Research and Innovation. For more information visit www.innovateuk.ukri.org

Find out more about KTPs.