EnterpriseTECH and EnterpriseTECH Star are 10 week educational programmes organized by the Entrepreneurship Centre at Cambridge Judge Business School. The programmes are specifically designed for PhD students and postdoctoral researchers with a technical background and focuses on the potential commercialisation of early-stage technologies.
Through the EnterpriseTECH and EnterpriseTECH Star programmes, participants can build knowledge about entrepreneurship and immerse themselves in a world-class environment for innovation and enterprise, becoming part of a community where learning translates into real-world applications for early-stage technologies and ventures.
Each year, several places on this programme are fully funded by scholarships from the Henry Royce Institute, covering various costs including the programme fee, travel, and accommodation expenses.
PhD students and Postdoctoral Researchers from across the the UK, including University College London, the University of Oxford, the University of Sheffield, and the University of Leeds, were sponsored by Royce and able to take part in the initiative during 2024’s Cohort.
This year’s EnterpriseTECH program kicked off with an intensive 5-day lecture series, encompassing over 50 hours of training, with over 37 speakers covering areas from business models and customer profiling to intellectual property, navigating the search for investors, and working on branding and marketing. Other activities included supervision and guidance workshops from experts in different fields and a team project, culminating with a pitch night and a commercial feasibility study.
The initiative is an extremely valuable resource for researchers who want to learn how to take new technologies to market.
Tayyab Khan, a Postdoctoral Researcher from the University of Manchester who was awarded a place on the programme said:
“I recently joined the EnterpriseTECH program as part of Cohort 16. I feel privileged to be part of such an unprecedented program that will equip me with essential business and entrepreneurial skills—skills that are often overlooked in the scientific community but crucial for success in today’s dynamic landscape. Lastly, I’d like to say that this was only possible through the generous support of Royce. Thank you to the entire team at Royce for making this possible.”
Tom Hancocks, Training and Skills Manager at Royce said:
“Royce is supporting materials science PhD students to access entrepreneurial skills training and helping them build networks with industry and business. We are keen to see how current students like Tayyab put this training into practice and look forward to the great innovative work they are able to achieve in the future”
Dr Thanasis Georgiou, Research and Business Engagement Manager at Royce added:
“ This initiative empowers PhD students and postdocs with essential entrepreneurial skills, bridging the gap between technological innovation and market application. Our sponsorship underscores our commitment to fostering a new generation of innovators who will drive impactful change in the scientific community and beyond.”
