Imperial College London targeted in hunt for inventions

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BCI045
Issue Date: 28th October 2008

28 October 2008 – Following the success of the first Boots Centre for Innovation’s university roadshow event at Oxford University in June, the hunt for innovative new technologies for the health and beauty sector continues with a second event at Imperial College, London on 25 November in partnership with the university’s technology transfer arm Imperial Innovations.

Held at the Imperial Incubator, Imperial’s physical incubation facility, the event will provide university scientists and entrepreneurs with a unique chance to learn about opportunities in the sector, from applying for funding for developing and launching their own products to understanding emerging global healthcare trends and other new technologies.

The seminar will also outline the Boots Open Innovation model and the key areas of consumer need the company has identified. These include finding improved ways to diagnose, treat and monitor key aspects of health, beauty and well-being; supporting positive ageing through products and devices for mind and body, and minimising the complications of living with chronic conditions.

A week after the first event there will then be a follow-up session where 10-15 of the attendees will be given the opportunity to pitch their product ideas to a ‘Dragons Den’ style panel. This panel will include senior product managers from Boots and from the Centre, as well as Ron Peterson, board director of Boots Centre for Innovation and founder of Longbow Capital LLP, the Centre’s venture capital partner.

“Our first roadshow in Oxford was very successful, and we are now looking to roll these events out across the country,” says managing director of Boots Centre for Innovation, Dr Ged O’Shea. “There are some amazing technologies being developed in universities across the country, and these events allow us to stimulate the developers to introduce their ideas to the mainstream market.”

O’Shea adds: “During the next event, at Imperial, we aim to stimulate the development of new applications that can benefit the general public, and highlight business opportunities for their inventors. There are market opportunities for new solutions across the healthcare spectrum, and these events offer universities a unique combination of advice, funding and a route to market for their inventions.”

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