Re:Search and Industry North East 2025
Join us to hear from, and engage with, representatives from a range of funding bodies: The Royal Society, Royal Academy of Engineering, North East Space Communications Accelerator, Northern Net Zero Accelerator and ICURe.
The event is for any researcher in the North East region (especially Northumbria, Newcastle, Sunderland, Durham and Teesside Universities) looking to develop research funding bids, including those aimed towards delivering wider impact and/or research commercialisation.
It is your opportunity to hear about the latest opportunities from the funders themselves, ask questions and build your network.
In addition to talks from each funder, we will hear previous awardees share their top tips and lessons learnt.
The break is a chance to ask questions and network around focussed discussion tables.
Schedule
Part one
1.30 pm: Introduction
1.40 pm: Northern Net Zero Accelerator
1.55 pm: North East Space Communications Accelerator
2.05 pm: Royal Society
2.35-3.10 pm: Break with networking
Part two
3.10 pm: Royal Academy of Engineering Panel Discussion
3.55 pm: Innovation-to-Commercialisation of University Research (ICURe)
4.25 pm: Awardee Talk
4.40 pm: Wrap up and final networking
5.00 pm: Close
Speakers include:
Prof Hamdi Torun (Northern Net Zero Accelerator)
Hamdi Torun is a professor in electrical engineering at Northumbria University. He is a co-founder and a board member of GlakoLens, a biomedical spinoff company. His research interests are in micro/nanotechnology especially for sensing technologies. He has received a number of awards including a Technology Award from Elginkan Foundation, Young Scientist Award from The Science Academy (Turkey), Innovator Under 35 Award from MIT Tech Review, and Marie Curie Fellowship (MC-IRG Grant).
Alisha Peart (North East Space Communications Accelerator)
Alisha has a national and international profile for sector-leading expertise in Research Impact, and is currently the North East Space Communications Accelerator (NESCA) Programme Manager. She is a leader in Research Impact and an experienced Strategic Programme Manager with expertise in securing and managing external funding. Alisha has extensive knowledge of the UK Higher Education environment, especially concerning knowledge exchange and understanding of how Research Impact is evaluated, generated and assessed.
Dr Mark Littlewood (The Royal Society)
Mark is the Head of Industry Engagement at The Royal Society. He holds a PhD in Medical Biochemistry / Molecular Biology and an MBA from Warwick Business School. Mark was previously Head of Emerging Technologies and Industries and the Knowledge Transfer Network. The Royal Society's Science and Industry programme facilitates cross-industry knowledge transfer through translation-focused grant initiatives, and the convergence of top-tier scientists from both industry and academia through conferences and regional gatherings.
Angela Tait (Royal Academy of Engineering, RAEng)
Angela is the Senior Enterprise Manager at the Royal Academy of Engineering Enterprise Hub in Newcastle. She has 20+ years supporting business across a range of sectors. The hubs’ mission is to provide a dedicated hub to support exceptional entrepreneurs in the North East with high-potential ideas; they help engineering and technology innovators to build bold and disruptive enterprises that have a positive impact on society.
Veronica Ferguson (ICURe)
Veronica is the Regional Head of Hub Scotland for the Innovate UK ICURe Programme. She has advised and guided research teams as they take their technology out into the world, helping to facilitate relationships between entrepreneurs and partners in the enterprise network. ICURe provides the support, the training and the process to help researchers go on a journey of discovery – to find out if your idea has market potential, if it has a ready customer base and if the world of entrepreneurship is right for you.
Dr Carl Dale (Microbritt, ICURe)
Carl is the co-founder and CEO of Microbritt, focusing on semiconductor processing, quantum sensing, microfluidics and components for space applications. His work integrates micromilling techniques to deliver precision manufacturing solutions.
RAEng panel members:
Chris Hamlin (RAEng Fellow)
Chris is Director of Operational Certainty Consulting at Emerson Automation Solutions. He applies his deep knowledge and experience of automation and process manufacturing to the world’s largest production sites and mega-projects. He has pioneered the practical application of novel automation technologies throughout his career, including electronic marshalling of field instrumentation, and most recently the application of digital techniques to the sustainability challenges facing the process manufacturing sector.
Lou Willis Keeler (RAEng Regional Talent Engines Awardee)
Lou Willis-Keeler is the CEO of Psych-Logica l LTD and is a specialist safeguarding and behavioural change consultant, working in the informal education sector. With over 20 years of practice-based experience and a Masters Degree from Durham University in Community and Youth Work, Lou works with organisations to help them create safe spaces for teaching and learning, improving engagement and increasing impact. Lou is working on an innovative product to make palliative care more comfortable and patient focused utilising the latest technology which works with the human body.
Stephen Mitchell (RAEng Regional Talent Engines Awardee)
With decades of experience in the manufacturing industry Stephen was able to identify gaps in real time data processing for large scale manufacturing companies to help drive efficiencies across the business. Stephen CEO of SQCDP helps organisations manage performance by focusing on safety, quality, cost, delivery, and people. It's a lean manufacturing practice that's often used in the manufacturing and aeronautics industries but is now available across the manufacturing industry.
Daniel Boggon (RAEng Shott Scale Up Accelerator)
Daniel is responsible for the management and delivery of Shott Scale Up Accelerator, a programme helping leaders of high-growth SME’s overcome the challenges faced as they transition from starting to scaling innovative engineering and technology businesses. Daniel’s experience is in mechanical and environmental engineering, with a professional focus on business operations he is motivated by a drive to promote innovation in entrepreneurship across the UK’s engineering ecosystem.
Edwin Ajogun (Programme Manager Enterprise Fellowships)
Edwin is a former eHealth founder, investor, and venture builder with nearly a decade of experience working with venture capital firms, incubators, and accelerators in Africa, the U.S, China, and Europe. At the academy, he is a part of the Enterprise Fellowships team supporting engineering researchers to spin out. He most previously led global program development for one of the biggest fintech-focused VCs in Africa with an AUM of $1.5b. In his career, has led the implementation of several accelerator and incubator programs that target the underserved communities and ethnic minorities. He also helps founders to raise seed and pre-seed funding for their startups.
Co-located event
On the morning of the 11th June there is an IP and Commercialisation event at the same location. Sign up to this is separate, please see the event page for more details.
Organisers
Nav Dean is a serial tech entrepreneur and deep-tech advisor focused on AI hardware, software and next-generation computing. Collaborating with leading universities, he bridges academia and industry to support deep-tech innovators. He is a Royal Society Entrepreneur in Residence for The University of Oxford. He is also a Royal Academy of Engineering Visiting Professor in Computer Science Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Oxford Brookes University.
Dr Lucy Whalley is an Assistant Professor in Physics at Northumbria University. She uses solid state physics, quantum chemistry and supercomputers to connect atomic-scale processes with the performance of materials. She advocates for open science practices as a fellow of the Software Sustainability Institute and an Associate Editor at the Journal of Open Source Software, and co-organises the Rising Stars workshop programme for under-represented groups in Materials Science.