The University of Oxford 2013-2018 strategic plan starts with the vision to lead in research and education and foster a culture in which innovation plays an important role, with the ultimate goal to benefit society on a national and global scale. In line with this ambition, the University of Oxford ranked first in the 2016 Times Higher Education World University Ranking, demonstrating all-round excellence including commendable engagement with industry and technology transfer output.

In fact, Oxford is a leading center for innovation, producing more founders of billion-dollar startups that any other institute in Europe. Last year, twenty-one new spinouts were created from Oxford research alone, attracting more than £50 million in early-stage funding grants, investment and partnerships with pharma.

To explore the position senior Oxford researchers (group leaders and senior postdocs) and clinicians occupy in this equation, Innovation Forum Oxford, in collaboration with the Medical Sciences Division, brings together Oxford academics with facilitators of innovation, industry collaboration, and commercialisation to:

- Highlight opportunities to engage with industry

- Deliver practical knowledge on how to commercialise ideas within the university

- Learn how to seek funding (grants and investment opportunities) and hands-on support and advice for translation of research-based ideas

- Be inspired by the experience of fellow group leaders who successfully commercialised their lab-based findings and established rewarding industry collaborations

- Create a platform for interaction between scientists, clinicians, and industry partners to foster translational collaboration

Target audience: Group Leaders, Postdoctoral Researchers, and clinicians