TLDR:
- Leading venture capitalist, Alexis Dormandy, compares academia in the UK to oil in the Middle East as a national asset.
- Panel discussion at the Imperial Founders Forum emphasizes the need for ambition in turning scientific discoveries into tech companies.
Academia in the UK is being compared to oil in the Middle East by leading venture capitalist, Alexis Dormandy, who urged the UK scientific community to build more home-grown tech companies rather than selling expertise to others. The panel discussion at the Imperial Founders Forum highlighted the importance of ambitions in commercializing research in fields such as life sciences. The panel, which included industry leaders like Dr. Charlotte Davison and Dr. Lee Thornton, emphasized the human element in forming successful businesses and advised founders on choosing investors wisely. The meeting was part of a series of Founders Forum events by Imperial Enterprise, aiming to help researchers develop as entrepreneurs. The event coincided with the launch of Imperial’s new Strategy, which includes initiatives like the Imperial WestTech Corridor and Science Capital Imperial to boost university innovation.
