Introduction to Enterprise Workshop Held at the Royal Society

The MINDS CDT at the University of Southampton collaborated with other Centres for Doctoral Training (CDTs) from the University of Nottingham, King's College London, and Imperial College London to host a successful Introduction to Enterprise workshop on Friday, 10th March 2023, at the Royal Society in London.

The training day was aimed at developing the skills of students in networking and pitching their research to stakeholders. The event featured a range of presentations and activities, including a presentation on Building Biotech Companies by Stephen Chambers of IndieBio, and entrepreneur talks by Iris Kramer of ArchAI and Michel Valstar of BlueSkeye. A panel discussion, chaired by Steve Morgan and featuring panelists Michel Valstar, Iris Kramer, Heather Jeffery, and Sofia D'Abrantes, also took place, where students had the opportunity to ask questions. The day also included a group activity, facilitated by Royal Society Entrepreneurs-in-Residence, in which students pitched their research to each other in groups and worked on one pitch to develop further together. Elevator pitches from each of the ten groups were presented, and prizes were awarded for the best and most creative pitches.

The event was attended by 55 students from various institutions, including MINDS CDT from the University of Southampton, Safe and Trusted Artificial Intelligence CDT from King's College London and Imperial College London, Horizon CDT from University of Nottingham, and the Royal Society. Overall, the Introduction to Enterprise workshop was a success, and attendees were highly satisfied with the event, with 38 out of 42 responders rating the event as good or very good in the questionnaire distributed after the event. This event highlights the importance of collaboration among CDTs and the value of providing students with opportunities to develop essential skills for their future careers.