Lords committee takes evidence on university spin-out companies

The House of Lords Science and Technology Committee will hold a one-off evidence session, on Tuesday 19 March, with academics and entrepreneurs who led the 2023 independent review of university spin-outs to identify best practice in turning university research into commercial success, in order to help the UK fulfil its ambition to become a Science and Technology Superpower.
The session begins at 10.15am and can be followed live or afterwards on Parliament TV or in person in Committee Room 3, Palace of Westminster.

Giving evidence will be:

• Prof. Irene Tracey, Vice-Chancellor, University of Oxford; or Chas Bountra,
  Pro-Vice Chancellor for Innovation, University of Oxford;
• Dr Andrew Williamson, Managing Partner of Cambridge Innovation Capital (CIC).

Questions are likely to include:

• Was there any conclusion from your report that stood out from those you spoke to as especially strong or widely held?
• What are the major factors preventing UK companies from scaling up their operations?
• Do the actions proposed by the Government address all of your recommendations?
• What challenges are there in the longer term for university spin-outs?
• Is there need for specific support for startups from other disciplines aside from life-sciences?