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Impact Award recognition for University of Nottingham innovator
7 June 2010An innovative exhibition that tells the story of some of The University of Nottingham's most exciting inventions — from 'eureka' moment to marketplace — has garnered a national award nomination for its developer.
Dr George Rice of the University's Research and Innovation Services is among the finalists for the 2010 Impact Awards, which recognise those who have made outstanding contributions to society and the economy through innovation.
In his role as Commercial Manager, within the Technology Transfer Team Dr Rice has been the driving force behind the new Technology Demonstrator facility.
Located on The University of Nottingham Innovation Park, next to Jubilee Campus, the exhibits span the development cycle from the earliest initial concepts right through to successfully trading spin-out companies and products that are already having an impact on our everyday lives.
Speaking about his award, Dr Rice said: 'I am very pleased to be nominated for this award, but it is important to remember that projects such as the Technology Demonstrator are only as good as the exhibits they contain, which relies on the breadth of world leading scientific research being undertaken by research groups at the University. Selling the benefits of a new piece of technology to members of the public can be equally as rewarding as pitching it to investors — and both ask tough questions.'
The Technology Demonstrator provides a unique interactive tool that can be used by the University to support a range of knowledge transfer activities — whether it be developing partnerships with business for commercial partnerships or communicating the latest science and engineering discoveries to the general public.
As a result, more than 120 external organisations have visited the exhibit in just the last nine months and it has resulted in new relationships with industry, the commercialisation of exhibited technology and attracted further investment into projects. Opportunities have also arisen for elements of the exhibit to appear at other public engagement events, allowing many more thousands of people to learn about how the University's research follow through to have an impact on society in the form of new products and innovations.
Using pump priming funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), Dr Rice has been instrumental in pulling together all the exhibit elements from across the engineering and physical sciences research base. He is now overseeing the expansion of the facility — by July 2010 the Technology Demonstrator will have been professionally enhanced by a specialist company that designs museum exhibits and showrooms to further improve the visitor experience
In addition to the Technology Demonstrator, the award also recognises Dr Rice's work in a separate initiative also aimed at the effective communication of science and technology. The Design Council Innovate for Universities scheme brings professional designers into the research transfer offices of universities to help researchers accelerate the development of new technologies and increase their potential for commercial success.
Dr Rice used the scheme as an opportunity to develop new links with external agencies specialising in new product development, communications and graphic design and acted as a champion for the initiative, widely communicating its potential benefits to researchers at Nottingham. Dr Rice will also co-present a session alongside the Design Council at the PraxisUnico conference in Nottingham during June.
Director of Research and Innovation Services Dr Richard Masterman nominated Dr Rice for Newcomer of the Year Impact Award. He said: 'George Rice has demonstrated a genuine entrepreneurial vision and flair in the way he has developed the University's Technology Demonstrator into an exciting and essential component of technology transfer engagement. He has helped researchers to exhibit their technologies and he has drawn in external organisations and ignited their interest in the University's technologies. His outstanding personal contribution is taking knowledge transfer to a new level.'
The Impact Awards are organised by PraxisUnico, an educational not-for-profit organisation set up to support innovation and commercialisation of public sector and charity research. Now in their second year, the awards aim to recognise the men and women who are driving some of the most entrepreneurial businesses of tomorrow.
Winners of the Impact Awards will be announced by Maggie Philbin at a ceremony held at the PraxisUnico Conference Gala Dinner on June 16 at the East Midlands Conference Centre in Nottingham.
Top photo courtesy of Scene Photography
