Meet the IP & Commercialisation Team, Matthew Pullinger, Kevin Stroud, and Dr Louise Farrand
For each edition of Research Connect, we shine a spotlight on a team or member of the Department of Research and Innovation. This month, we’re featuring the IP & Commercialisation team. Read on to learn who they are and how they can support you.
Can you tell us a little about your role, and what it involves?
Dr Louise Farrand: I lead the University’s IP & Commercialisation team, and our job is really about helping great research go further. We work with academics to protect their ideas, but more importantly, to figure out how those ideas can actually be used in the real world. That might mean licensing a technology to an existing company, building new partnerships, or supporting the creation of a spin-out. A big part of what we do is getting involved early—helping researchers think about routes to impact alongside their research, rather than as something that happens at the end.
Kevin Stroud: I work with academics to help them figure out how they can apply their work outside of academia and how that work can drive change and impact in society and the UK economy. Primarily, this involves supporting academic colleagues in areas such as licensing and spin-outs and helping to explore the options they have. A large part of my role is also outreach, approaching academics to let them know what we do and how we can help, particularly with SHAPE disciplines.
Matthew Pullinger: As an IP & Commercialisation Manager, I work with researchers to help identify opportunities to maximise the impact of their research beyond academia. A large part of my role is building relationships across the University, meeting with academic colleagues to understand their research and helping them recognise opportunities they may not have considered. I also work closely with external partners and industry contacts to help connect researchers with the expertise and networks needed to translate ideas into real-world applications.
What do you enjoy most about working in research and innovation, and what challenges do you face?
Dr Louise Farrand: The best part is seeing that moment where something starts as an idea and then begins to take shape as something with real-world potential. Whether it’s influencing how an industry operates or contributing to a new treatment, it’s incredibly rewarding to be part of that journey. One of the biggest challenges, and opportunities, is around culture change. We’re really good as a university at winning grants and delivering excellent research. What we’re now trying to do is build on that by having earlier conversations about impact—thinking from the outset about how work could be applied, whether that’s through licensing, collaboration, or even creating a company. That shift takes time, but it’s exciting because it opens up new possibilities, not just for the University, but for researchers themselves.
Kevin Stroud: I enjoy working with colleagues at the start of an idea and being involved in helping them discover the best way forward, I find people's enthusiasm for their work infectious and I learn so much from interacting with academics of different disciplines. I really enjoy bringing people together and helping to form relationships both internally and externally. My biggest challenge is persuading parts of the university that what I’m working is needed and possible, much of the University struggles with things being done a slightly different way, although that is changing.
Matthew Pullinger: What I enjoy most is meeting researchers from across different disciplines and hearing about the innovative work they are doing. Every conversation is different, and it's a privilege to learn about new technologies, discoveries and ideas that have the potential to make a genuine difference. I particularly enjoy bringing people together to solve problems, whether that's connecting academics with industry partners, identifying funding opportunities, or helping navigate the pathway from research to impact. One of the challenges can be navigating the complexity of a large organisation. Commercialisation often requires input from multiple teams and processes, and researchers are already balancing many competing priorities. Part of my role is helping to simplify that journey and make it easier for academics to engage with commercialisation activities alongside their research.
What are your priorities/hopes for research and innovation at the University in the coming year?
Dr Louise Farrand: A big priority is continuing to support that shift towards thinking about impact earlier. We want to make it easier for researchers to explore different routes, whether that’s working with industry, licensing their IP, or taking the step to form a spin-out. More broadly, I’d like to see more of our research making a visible difference—changing how things are done in industry, contributing to better outcomes, and creating real value. That value isn’t just financial, but also about contributing to the wider economy, local job creation, and giving researchers new opportunities for personal and professional development.
Kevin Stroud: My hopes for the coming year are primarily focused on raising awareness of the commercialisation options in the University and to help more academics utilise this path to impact. As the newest member of the commercialisation team, I’m also hoping to learn as much as I can.
Matthew Pullinger: One of my main priorities is increasing awareness and the use of the support and opportunities available through the commercialisation team. There is a huge amount of innovative research taking place across the University, and I would like to see more researchers exploring how their work could create impact through industry collaboration, licensing, consultancy or spin-out activity. Personally, I am also keen to continue developing my knowledge and experience within the commercialisation field. Having moved into this role in the last 12 months, I'm excited to learn from colleagues, build my expertise and contribute to the growth of the University's innovation ecosystem.
You can contact Louise, Kevin, and Matthew at [email protected]