Unlocking the commercial potential of our research with Innovate UK ICURe SURfACE

The SURfACE pilot is part of the Innovate UK ICURe Programme, which helps university research teams explore the commercial potential of their ideas. SURfACE is designed specifically to broaden access to commercialisation support for institutions that have traditionally had limited involvement in national innovation schemes. Through training, expert guidance and direct engagement with the market, the programme empowers researchers to take their first steps into entrepreneurship and commercial thinking.

The first time the University has participated in a national commercialisation initiative, the ICURe SURfACE pilot has given Salford access to a structured, supportive route into commercialisation. Ten academics from across the University joined the pilot cohort, each gaining valuable exposure to the commercial landscape and learning how to evaluate their research through the lens of market need.

Paul Cihlar, Head of Commercialisation at Salford, said: “ICURe SURfACE has given us a structured pathway to help our researchers think differently about how their work could be applied, and supported us to build institutional capability at the same time. That combination of real-world knowledge and hands-on support has been a game changer.”

Among the participating teams was the SARAD project, led by Entrepreneurial Lead, Tarek Gaber, and Co-Principal Investigator, Angel Jiminez-Aranda. Originally focused on technical research, the team had never considered a commercial application for their work.

"ICURe gave us access to industry leaders and helped us understand the pain points they are facing, to then reshape the aims of our project," said Tarek.

Angel added "ICURe helped us define our pitch for a different audience, one we aren't used to speaking to, including potential customers, partners and even investors."

The team is now actively exploring how their innovation can address real market needs, applying what they’ve learned to shape their next steps. That journey has not only brought commercial potential into focus but has also built their capacity to lead innovation-led change.

Tony Walker, Head of Hub for the Northern Region at Innovate UK, said, “The Innovate UK ICURe Programme accelerates the journey of taking ground-breaking research to market by helping teams 'find their market and find their customers. Working with Paul and the team at the University of Salford through our SURfACE programme, we have been able to support many more of Salford’s researchers to join in the ICURe programme to focus on translating their research into positive, real-world change.  

"ICURe plays a critical role in fostering a thriving UK innovation ecosystem. We are particularly proud of the universities engagement in this programme, and I look forward to seeing the results from these innovative research projects.”

The IP and Commercialisation team in the Research and Knowledge Exchange directorate is now embedding ICURe principles into its wider institutional strategy. This includes rolling out an IP and commercialisation roadshow during the next academic year to raise awareness and equip more researchers with the tools and mindset to pursue spin-outs or licensing.

“We’re on the verge of a real culture shift here at Salford,” added Paul. “We can now talk with confidence about commercialisation and spin-outs. That’s something we couldn’t do before ICURe SURfACE.”

Traditionally, access to commercialisation support like ICURe has been concentrated among the UK’s larger, research-intensive universities. From a starting cohort of ten academics, Salford is building a foundation for long-term, institution-wide impact. The aim is to embed commercialisation into our IP strategy and continue to share ICURe knowledge across departments, to ensure our researchers are increasingly equipped to bring ideas out of the lab and into the world.