Turning academic projects into commercial solutions
When it comes to academic research and innovation, partnerships between design agencies and universities are becoming pivotal in transforming cutting-edge research into tangible, market-ready products. At PDR, we’re proud to exemplify this collaborative approach. Julie Stephens, our Commercial Manager, recently shed light on how we work with universities to propel academic projects from concept to commercialisation.
As an agency, our journey with academic institutions is rooted in a shared goal: to leverage research for real-world applications. Recognising the strengths of academics in securing funding for research projects, we’re a crucial ally in the journey from proof of concept to batch production. Julie highlights the importance of this partnership, noting, "Academics are very good at securing funding for academic research projects," and we offer "a service provision from proof of concept right through to batch production of products where they can test their research in the field."
Our involvement begins a lot earlier than the production phase; we help by assisting in the preparation of funding support materials, to communicating project intentions to potential funding partners. Once funding is secured, our expertise in design, prototyping, and volume production comes to the forefront. "Once they secure the funding, we are able to work with them to realise their new developments from initial design prototyping to volume production," Julie explains.
Additionally, our relationship with Cardiff Metropolitan University serves as a model for potential partnerships with other educational institutions. This relationship is proof of our ability to navigate the complexities of working within and alongside academic settings, ensuring that collaborative efforts are fruitful and mutually beneficial.
We have pioneering design academics among our staff, which uniquely enables us to work on world leading research projects alongside our consultancy work.
Our key areas for supporting universities include:
- Developing a proof of concept of your idea
- Low-volume batch production
- User centred design
- New product development
- Policy and service design
We’ve developed a brochure that communicates in more detail our deep understanding of the academic process and its potential hurdles, along with successful case studies with leading UK universities and medical device manufacturers, amongst others.
Our work with universities shows just how powerful projects can be when academic research teams up with commercial design and development. This partnership doesn't just help get academic innovations out into the world; it also adds real-world value to research, setting a benchmark for future collaborations between the academic and commercial sectors.
If you'd like to receive a copy of the brochure, get in touch with Julie Stephens; jstephens@pdr-design.com