Innovation Factory Appoints Dr Vikas Shah MBE DL as Entrepreneur in Residence

The University of Manchester Innovation Factory (UoMIF) is delighted to announce the appointment of Dr Vikas Shah MBE DL as its new Entrepreneur in Residence. In this role, Vikas will work alongside UoMIF’s team of commercialisation experts to mentor and guide the University’s researchers and academic innovators, enhancing intellectual property brought to market to the highest standards to create meaningful societal impact.

Vikas is a serial entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist who founded his first technology business at just 14. He is currently CEO of Swiscot Group, a diversified international trading business, and serves in a number of high-profile public and advisory roles. These include positions as a Non-Executive Board Member of the UK Government’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, the Solicitors Regulation Authority, and the Institute of Directors (IoD). An Honorary Professor of Business at the University of Manchester’s Alliance Business School and Honorary Industry Fellow at the University of Salford Business School, he also holds an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Salford awarded in 2022.

Vikas was awarded an MBE for services to business and the economy in the 2018 New Year’s Honours and was appointed Deputy Lieutenant of Greater Manchester in 2021. He is the author of Thought Economics, a collection of interviews with leading figures from across the globe, including Nobel prize winners, scientists, artists and cultural icons.

In May 2025, Vikas delivered the keynote at UoMIF’s Innovation Sprint, where he spoke candidly about entrepreneurship, resilience and the importance of feedback. His reflections on the need to embrace setbacks, “You only need one yes, but each ‘no’ is an opportunity to learn and grow”, resonated strongly with early-stage innovators.

Vikas said: “I am truly honoured to join UoMIF as Entrepreneur in Residence. Universities are a vital engine of innovation, and The University of Manchester has an extraordinary track record of world-leading research which has had a substantial impact on the lives of people around the world.

“My career has taken me from starting a business as a teenager to working globally across many sectors, and I hope to share these lessons with the innovators here. It is a privilege to help guide researchers and students as they take their ideas from the lab into spinouts, partnerships and products that make a real difference to society.”

Dr Catherine Headley, CEO of UoMIF, said: “We are honoured to welcome Vikas into this vital role. UoMIF is dedicated to developing spinout companies and licensing intellectual property created at the University of Manchester, ensuring that research translates into commercial success and societal benefit.

“Having someone of Vikas’s calibre and breadth of experience will strengthen our ability to deliver on this mission. His unique combination of entrepreneurial expertise, international business leadership and commitment to supporting innovation will help give our new spinouts and licensing opportunities the strongest possible start.”

As the University’s Technology Transfer Office, UoMIF identifies, protects and develops intellectual property arising from research and discovery. By creating spinout companies, brokering licensing agreements and fostering partnerships, UoMIF ensures that innovations with the potential for economic, social and environmental benefit are successfully developed and brought to market, not only impacting the North of England, but the entire world.