Congratulations to Dr Andrew Williamson (Physical Natural Sciences, 1990), whose report of university spin-out companies and the government’s response – which was commissioned by the Chancellor – has now been published. The review, led jointly by Dr Williamson and Professor Irene Tracey CBE, offered a series of recommendations to help improve the creation and growth of university spin-out companies. 

Dr Williamson writes, “The UK's world-class university sector is a crucial driver of economic growth and innovation. Over the past year, I have engaged extensively with all key stakeholders and the Independent Review of the UK’s University Spin-out Ecosystem and its recommendations are the culmination of this extensive work. The review proposes a set of spin-out terms and processes designed to foster a more collaborative environment among academia, entrepreneurship, and investment, that will increase the number of spin-outs, reduce the time to negotiate licenses, and increase the spin-out’s success rate. It was a privilege to contribute to this report. Across diverse sectors, including AI, quantum computing, advanced therapeutics, diagnostics, and climate tech, university spin-outs across the UK are rapidly generating economic growth, societal impact, and fulfilling career opportunities for the next generation”. 

Dr Williamson is a Managing Partner of Cambridge Innovation Capital and Chair of the Venture Capital Committee at the British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (BVCA).

Click through to read the full report on the government’s website.