Translational research in Scotland is about starting companies that improve research, change lives and enable the future.

As a PhD or Post-doc, working in a spin-out company means your techniques and expert knowledge can directly impact people's lives - but where would you start? The Open Innovation Challenge is your opportunity to work with real intellectual property patented by the University of Edinburgh. Edinburgh Innovations is opening access to patented technologies so that you can test your ability to solve real-world problems, build a route-to-market and analyse competing companies. Non-PhD students can join teams lead by PhD students or Post-docs.

Your team will check-in with our experienced Business Advisors to keep you focused on critical questions like:

• Who is the target customer?
• What is your unique selling point?
• Which business model should you use?

Join training workshops on Team Leadership, Customer Development, and Pitching to prepare your team for the final event of the Open Innovation Challenge: The Data-Driven Innovation Cup, a pitching competition with a prize pot £5000.

Demonstrate your potential to make a real company by submitting your micro business plan and you could enter our follow-on accelerator to become a science-entrepreneur.

The Open Innovation Challenge will be live during January, February and March 2021.

If you have any questions please write to Dr. Thane Campbell, thane.campbell@ei.ed.ac.uk