The University of Manchester Innovation Factory has welcomed the publication of the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Research England evaluation of the Shared Technology Transfer Office (TTO) Pilot Programme, which explored new collaborative approaches to university commercialisation and innovation support.
The pilot programme was launched in 2025 by Research England following recommendations outlined in the Independent Review of University Spinout Companies and examined how institutions could share technology transfer expertise, commercialisation capability and innovation infrastructure to support research translation and spinout development.
The University of Manchester Innovation Factory led the project in partnership with Manchester Metropolitan University, the University of Salford and the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM), establishing a regional collaborative model focused on strengthening commercialisation activity across Greater Manchester institutions.
The evaluation report highlights the positive outcomes generated through the pilot programme nationally, including the creation of six spinout companies and support for a broad range of commercialisation opportunities and innovation projects. The findings also reinforce the value of collaborative approaches in enhancing institutional capability, increasing connectivity across regional innovation ecosystems and widening access to commercialisation expertise.
Our project, the Manchester-Salford Commercialisation Consortium, focused on developing a collaborative commercialisation model across Greater Manchester institutions to strengthen innovation support, increase access to technology transfer expertise and help unlock the commercial potential of research across a broader range of disciplines and institutions. The consortium combined complementary expertise from across the partner organisations to support academic engagement, commercialisation training, intellectual property development, market assessment and pathways to spinout and licensing activity. The project aimed to create a more connected regional innovation ecosystem capable of supporting emerging research opportunities while building long-term commercialisation capacity across the participating institutions.
A key outcome of the collaboration has been the development of enduring relationships between partner institutions across Greater Manchester, creating a foundation for continued collaboration beyond the lifetime of the pilot itself. The project has catalysed ongoing collaboration around shared commercialisation activity, building towards a GM-wide increase in commercialisation activity across the partner institutions.
The collaborative model developed through the Manchester-Salford collaboration has also attracted international attention, including engagement from organisations in the United States and in Germany that are interested in our approach to developing new models for technology transfer and research commercialisation.
Paula Dhoot, Chief Operating Officer of the University of Manchester Innovation Factory, said: “The Shared TTO Pilot Programme provided an important opportunity to explore how collaborative approaches can strengthen commercialisation capability across institutions and support the translation of research into impact.
“The programme reflected the collaborative spirit that exists across Greater Manchester and has helped establish a strong foundation for continued partnership working, building on the region’s longstanding legacy of innovation and partnership.”
The full evaluation report of the UKRI Research England programme can be viewed here.
