Oxford University Innovation and the Prime Minister

2nd March 2009

The Prime Minister, The Rt Hon Gordon Brown MP, visited the University of Oxford on 27th February to deliver the Romanes lecture on ‘Science and our Economic Future’.

He talked about the importance of scientific research and science as a route out of the global economic crisis. During his visit, the Prime Minister participated in a roundtable discussion with a range of Oxford scientists, including those who have set up spin-out companies to commercialise their research and Isis’ Linda Naylor.  The Prime Minister heard presentations from the University’s two most recent spin-out companies Organox and Intelligent Sustainable Energy.

Linda Naylor, Head of Technology Transfer at Oxford University Innovation commented: “This was a great opportunity for the Prime Minister to see first hand the work of Isis in commercialising research from the University’s research base.”

The discussion was on scientific and medical research at Oxford and the benefits they bring to the UK economy and in tackling the global challenges of the 21st century.

Dr Constantin Coussios and Professor Peter Friend spoke about their spin-out OrganOx Ltd, which is developing a device for sustaining organs outside the body using blood at normal body temperatures. Dr Malcolm McCulloch spoke on his spin-out Intelligent Sustainable Energy Ltd, formed between Navetas Energy Management and Oxford University, which has created technologies to help people reduce and manage their energy consumption.

Earlier in the week Isis Managing Director, Tom Hockaday had the opportunity to meet with former Prime Minister, The Rt Hon Baroness Margaret Thatcher.

The occasion was the launch of Professor Graham Richard’s book ‘Spin-outs: Creating Businesses from University Intellectual Property’ at a reception at the Royal Society of Chemistry.  The book is dedicated to Baroness Thatcher, recognising her role in promoting venture capital and university technology transfer in the UK in the 1980s.

Professor Richards served as a non-executive director of Isis for many years, and his book describes the increasing impact of Isis in supporting Oxford’s spin-outs.

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