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Newcastle Innovations: Driving regional growth through collaboration

Newcastle Innovations
www.ncl.ac.uk/newcastle-innovations

Newcastle University has unveiled a new venture designed to strengthen collaboration with businesses and help turn research, expertise and innovation into lasting economic growth. Bringing together commercialisation, company creation, consultancy, research partnerships, innovation and skills development, Newcastle Innovations aims to deliver tangible benefits for organisations, communities and the wider economy. Here, N magazine explores the new approach and the impact it is set to make.

Economic growth doesn’t happen in isolation. It is created when research, talent, industry and investment come together with a shared purpose.

This principle sits at the heart of Newcastle Innovations, Newcastle University’s new knowledge exchange, partnership and enterprise arm, which has been launched to make it easier for businesses, investors and partners to access the university’s world-class expertise and innovation ecosystem.

Opening the door to easier collaboration

Newcastle Innovations reflects a changing role for universities.

Today, universities are expected not only to educate and discover, but also to help shape places, drive economic growth and address major societal challenges.

Newcastle University’s Business and Innovation Strategy recognises this responsibility and positions the university as an enterprising institution focused on creating impact through collaboration.

By bringing together commercialisation, company creation, innovation, consultancy, research partnerships and skills development under one banner, Newcastle Innovations provides a clearer route for organisations looking to work with the university.

As the university’s front door to collaborative problem-solving, Newcastle Innovations aims to remove barriers, support innovation-led growth and ensure outstanding research translates into real-world economic and societal benefits.

From supporting high-growth spin-outs and attracting investment to helping businesses innovate and develop new products, its work is designed to strengthen the regional and national economies.

Delivering economic impact

The launch of Newcastle Innovations is built on a strong foundation of performance and measurable impact.

Across the university’s innovation ecosystem, commercial and partnership activity continues to generate significant economic value.

In 2024/2025, Newcastle University supported more than 46,000 continuing educational and professional development learner days, while attracting in excess of 1.6 million attendees to public engagement activities.

Such commitment to the workforce economy demonstrates the scale of its contribution to skills development and community engagement.

Estelle Blanks, Newcastle Innovations’ director, says: “We’re creating real value through collaboration – driving investment, supporting inclusive growth and delivering transformative impact.”

The university’s spin-out portfolio has continued to grow steadily, increasing from 29 active companies in 2020/2021 to 42 active spin-outs in 2024/2025.

Together, these businesses support hundreds of highly skilled jobs and attract substantial external investment into the region.

Over the last two years, the university’s spin-outs secured more than £90 million of external investment (HEBCI data 2023-2025).

Intellectual property activity has also reached new levels. The university recorded 74 invention disclosures during 2024/2025, the highest figure in the last five years, while total intellectual property revenue increased to £4.6 million.

Total licences rose to 219, reflecting growing demand for Newcastle-developed technologies and expertise.

The wider innovation ecosystem is delivering benefits beyond commercialisation.

The National Innovation Centre for Data has already helped create 1500 jobs, and is forecast to contribute £742 million to the North East economy over the next decade through increased productivity, innovation and business growth.

Programmes supporting regional businesses are also generating impressive results.

Newcastle University leads Arrow – a bespoke innovation support programme – on behalf of four universities in the North East.

Arrow connects regional enterprises with academic expertise and specialist facilities, and has helped more than 300 organisations develop innovative new products, technologies and services.

Newcastle University plays a key role in major regional initiatives, including the North East AI Growth Zone, a programme expected to create more than 5000 jobs and attract up to £30 billion of private investment.

Newcastle Innovations is helping ensure the region is positioned to benefit from emerging opportunities in artificial intelligence, clean growth and advanced manufacturing.

Newcastle Innovations is also helping North East innovation reach global markets.

Part of a three-way alliance between Newcastle University and Cancer Research Horizons, Astex Pharmaceuticals secured a collaboration and licence agreement with Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, to advance the development of novel cancer treatments.

The powerhouse partnership highlights the strength of the university’s commercialisation ecosystem and its ability to translate world-leading research into opportunities that attract international partners, investment and economic value.

Professor Jane Robinson, Newcastle University pro-vice-chancellor – business, partnerships and place, says: “We are pursuing national priorities through our regional distinctiveness, which, in turn, addresses global challenges.”

Building the future

Newcastle Innovations is more than a new name.

It represents a commitment to making collaboration easier, accelerating innovation and strengthening the North East’s position as a centre for research-led growth.

Its mission is simple: turn ideas into impact, together.

By connecting businesses, investors, communities and researchers, Newcastle Innovations is helping transform knowledge into economic value, creating jobs, attracting investment and ensuring innovation developed in the North East delivers impact far beyond the region.

As Newcastle University approaches its 200th anniversary, Newcastle Innovations will be central to turning ambition into opportunity – and opportunity into growth.

Spark your next partnership

In a changing world of economic and societal challenges, let’s evolve together.

Working with a university is no longer an academic exercise; it’s a strategic move toward innovation, resilience and long-term success.

The strongest partnerships begin with shared curiosity, so whether you’re looking to solve a challenge, recruit talent or explore new ideas, a university collaboration could be the way forward.

The first step is a simple discussion about what the next moves could be.

Start your business evolution here.

To learn more about Newcastle Innovations and find out how a university collaboration could help your organisation strengthen its growth goals, visit the website at the top of this article or email innovations@newcastle.ac.uk 

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by N Magazine .