Reputation & Impact

Why publicise?  

Communicating about academic innovation demonstrates impact, and increases the visibility of your research.  It is also vital for connecting innovators with funders, investors, research and commercial partners.

The Enterprise team creates a news stream that supports academics who engage with our Enterprise Acceleration and Intellectual Property services, or who use the incubation services at the Birmingham Research Park.

We work closely with the Press Office and College Marketing & Communication teams and our publicity reaches internal and external audiences with announcements on:

  • Translational grant funding
  • Research papers
  • Case studies on academic innovation
  • Products and services in development
  • Investments and license agreements
  • Winners of external and internal awards
  • Commercial milestones for spinout companies

If you are an academic innovator and would like to discuss publicity please contact Ruth Ashton at r.c.ashton@bham.ac.uk, or call 0121 414 9090. 

 

Our channels

Most of our work involves creating news announcements.  These are issued to external media, as well as College Communications teams for in the University’s internal and external news channels.

In addition, we feature news on our website at https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/enterprise, and run our own social media feeds.

You can follow us on Twitter @UoBAccelerate 

We also have a video screen in the Research Park reception, which receives over 19,000 visits a year.  If your video features innovation and is loaded on YouTube, we can add it to our playlist. 

When not to do publicity

It is important to remember that if you disclose your invention without filing a patent, you will lose the ability to patent it in the future. 

Disclosure includes peer reviewed publication, or presentation at conferences and posters, talking to people outside the University (unless covered by confidentiality restrictions).  It also includes mention of the invention in print media (newspapers and magazines), online, in social media or broadcast (radio and television) interviews. 

Once a patent is filed, the innovation is protected.  However it is advisable not to be drawn into speculation or comment about areas where future patents may be filed.  If you would like talking points before a media interview, please contact Ruth Ashton via r.c.ashton@bham.ac.uk.  

If you have an invention that you want to patent, you should fill in a Record of Invention (ROI) form and submit to the IP team.  

 

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