Innovation & Commercialisation Programmes for Researchers
Our Early Career Researcher (ECR) Innovation & Commercialisation Programmes help universities around the world turn breakthrough research ideas into real-world innovations.
The Big Bang Partnership delivers impactful, engaging training that gives early career researchers the tools to bridge the gap between the lab and the marketplace.
Through interactive workshops and hands-on mentoring, ECR participants learn to evaluate the market potential of their research projects, communicate their ideas clearly, collaborate with industry and government, and pitch with confidence.
Our programmes show researchers how to articulate the value of their work to secure funding and financial support, translating their findings into environmental, social, technological and other impact. They empower ECRs to combine scientific creativity with commercial know-how to create change beyond academia – generating economic, social, and environmental impact – an investment in the career development of your emerging researchers and in creating a culture of innovation and public engagement around high-quality research.
Challenges of Commercialising Research
We understand the challenges that early career scientists face when exploring entrepreneurship or industry collaboration. For graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in particular, it can be daunting to step beyond academia without the right support. Our programmes can be tailored to distinct ECR stages – whether someone is a final-year PhD student (postgraduate student), a postdoctoral researcher, or even a newly appointed faculty member. We help your ECRs to develop the skills, innovation mindset and confidence needed at each step of their journey to pursue innovation opportunities alongside their research career.
Our hands-on approach sparks new ideas and fresh thinking: we energise ECRs to test assumptions, build practical skills, and return to their work with greater confidence and an entrepreneurial outlook.
Examples of ECR Innovation Programmes
Here’s are some examples:
- 2-day programme that we led for BBNet in the UK.
- Residential 2-day programme for three of the BBSRC Networks in Industrial Biotechnology and Bioenergy (NIBBs): the Biomass Biorefinery Network (BBNet), High Value Biorenewables Network (HVB) and Environmental Biotechnology Network (EBNet) here.
- Supergen Impact Workshop here.
Get in touch here to learn more about our innovation programmes and events for early career researchers.
Who Our Programmes Are For
- PhD Candidates, Postdoctoral Researchers, and Early-Career Academics: Researchers in the early stage of their research career who want to explore entrepreneurship and bring their work to market. This includes PhD candidates (and other graduate students) and postdoctoral researchers looking to translate their research into real-world solutions.
- University Research Staff and Project Team Members: Research staff and project team members aiming to develop commercialisation skills and identify viable business opportunities from their high-quality research outcomes. Our training is relevant across research topics and disciplines – from social sciences to environmental research – helping teams in any field unlock the innovation potential of their work.
- Research Institutes, Enterprise Centres & Innovation Offices: Departments and centres seeking a structured ECR programme as part of their researchers’ professional development. We equip your early career scientists with the skills to commercialise research, drive innovation, and make a significant contribution to institutional goals. This programme gives your organization a way to support ECRs with a clear, proven framework for enterprise and innovation.
Engaging and Flexible Programme Delivery
Our training is interactive and hands-on, designed to spark creativity while accommodating your institution’s schedule. We offer everything from live 90-minute virtual webinars to immersive multi-day residential bootcamps. We can even integrate our sessions into your existing events (for example, as part of an annual conference or doctoral training week). Our flexible delivery means your faculty members and ECRs can access the right support at the right time – whether it’s a quick-hit ideas session or a deep-dive innovation retreat.
Every session is highly engaging and tailored to the participants’ interests and research topics. Our facilitators encourage dynamic collaboration, thoughtful debate and creative problem-solving. Early career researchers work in teams to share knowledge, challenge assumptions, and spark new ideas. Everyone leaves with tangible takeaways – an idea journal filled with concepts, a toolkit of innovation techniques, and a clear action plan to move forward.
Programme Components
Interactive Workshops
We deliver a series of workshops (virtual or in-person) covering key aspects of innovation, from the ideation process and business model development to commercialization strategy. Each session is lively, discussion-driven, and contextualized to the researchers’ field, ensuring the content resonates whether the audience is in biotech or social sciences. Participants aren’t passive listeners – they actively apply concepts to their own research projects in real time.
Hands-On Market Exploration
Through guided exercises, ECRs learn how to identify the commercial potential of their research. They practice market research and customer discovery, mapping out who might benefit from their innovation. This hands-on exploration helps researchers view their work through a market lens – understanding user needs, competitive offerings, and unique value propositions specific to their ideas. By the end, even those from purely academic backgrounds have begun thinking like entrepreneurially minded problem-solvers.
Pitching and Communication Training
We provide training to communicate ideas effectively to both experts and non-specialists. Participants learn how to distill their research into a compelling pitch or concise concept outline for potential investors, industry partners, or grant panel members. They receive coaching and feedback to refine their message and delivery.
We also offer guidance on navigating funding application processes – from grant applications to incubator programs – so ECRs can confidently translate a technical research proposal into a persuasive business case. By honing these communication skills, researchers become adept at capturing attention and interest in any setting, from investor meetings to public forums.
Mentoring & Coaching Support
Our programmes include ongoing mentorship to keep momentum strong. We offer one-to-one and small-group mentoring from experienced entrepreneurs and senior researchers who understand the journey from lab to market. This personalized support helps participants refine their plans, overcome challenges, and stay on track in their commercialisation journey. Mentors act as sounding boards and advisors, ensuring that each researcher’s strategy is robust and achievable. The result is that postdoctoral researchers and PhD candidates alike feel supported every step of the way as they venture into the world of innovation.
Key Benefits
- Practical Skills without the Jargon: Equips ECRs with practical business and innovation skills without assuming any prior commercial experience. Participants learn the essentials of entrepreneurship in an accessible way, complementing their academic research skills.
- Faster Lab-to-Market Progress: Accelerates the path from lab to market by providing a structured approach and expert support. Early career researchers can progress their ideas faster and more confidently, knowing they’re following proven steps.
- Confidence in Collaboration: Builds confidence in engaging with industry partners, investors, and stakeholders. ECRs become more prepared to network and collaborate outside academia, including through public engagement opportunities that communicate the value of their work to society.
- Entrepreneurial Mindset: Develops an entrepreneurial mindset while maintaining scientific rigor. Researchers learn to view their work through a commercial lens and spot opportunities for innovation that they might have otherwise overlooked, all without compromising their scholarly standards.
- Peer Network & Community: Connects ECRs with like-minded peers and experts, creating a sense of community and an active ECR network that continues to share knowledge. By working alongside other early-career researchers, participants expand their professional connections across both research and innovation communities, fostering collaborations that can last well beyond the programme.
Outcomes
By the end of the programme, your early career researchers will have achieved concrete outcomes:
- Commercialisation Action Plan: A clear commercialisation action plan for each participant’s project or idea. ECRs will define next steps and a roadmap to turn their research into a viable product, service, or partnership opportunity.
- Value Proposition & Business Model: A refined value proposition and draft business model for their innovation. Participants will have pinpointed their target customers or end-users, why their idea matters to those audiences, and how it could be delivered in a sustainable way.
- Polished Pitch Materials: Improved pitching skills and communication materials – including a slide deck or concept outline – that they can use to present their concept to potential funders, industry partners, or their institution’s innovation board. Whether applying for grants or approaching investors, they’ll have a professional pitch ready to go.
- Enhanced Innovation Capability: Greater personal capability in innovation management and entrepreneurship. ECRs will finish the programme with lasting skills in opportunity evaluation, creative problem-solving, and strategic thinking that benefit their careers long-term. This experience serves as a springboard for future development opportunities in leadership and enterprise.
- Pathways to Impact: Preparedness to pursue real commercialisation routes for their research. Whether it’s spinning out a company, licensing technology, or forming industry collaborations, participants will be ready to approach tech transfer offices, accelerators, or funding opportunities with confidence. They’ll understand the landscape of moving research to market and have the tools to navigate it.
Why Choose The Big Bang Partnership?
At The Big Bang Partnership, we bring experience, energy and tried-and-tested methods to every engagement. Our team has a proven track record in helping early career academics innovate, with programmes delivered across the United Kingdom and internationally. We focus on results that translate into tangible progress – it’s not just theory with us, but real plans and skills that lead to significant contributions and achievements.
We collaborate closely with your research team to shape an impactful programme that aligns with your goals. Our facilitators are skilled at sparking high-performance collaboration within multi-disciplinary groups, ensuring that scientists, engineers and social scientists alike find the experience relevant and valuable. We also work with your institution’s own experts and faculty members to tailor examples and discussions to your context. In short, we become an extension of your team, dedicated to delivering a compelling, invaluable experience that energises your early career researchers and meets your enterprise objectives.
Get in Touch
Ready to empower your early career researchers and see their innovations thrive? For further information, or to discuss your university’s needs in further detail, please get in touch with us.
We’re happy to arrange a call (Zoom/Teams or in person) to explore how our customised ECR programmes can provide the right support and development your team needs.
We’d love to work together with you to turn your researchers’ knowledge into real-world impact and build a vibrant culture of innovation in your institution.
