Social IP
Paul Harrod - Enterprise Network Manager and Social IP lead for the SETsquared Partnership
The SETsquared Partnership has launched ‘Social IP’ (Intellectual Property), a new social and environmental technology enterprise programme, developing successful, financially self-sustaining technology companies which have significant impact on society or the environment.
The project, led by the University of Bristol’s Research and Enterprise Development department, seeks to support research that might not attract the interest of the mainstream venture capitalists. The Social IP initiative opens the door to academics whose research is focused primarily on social or environmental benefit.
Since the scheme was launched six new social enterprise projects have received nearly £100,000 of Enterprise Development funding between them.
Examples of the projects supported include a ’forward-osmosis’ technology that can generate clean drinking water from almost any supply creating huge possibilities for disaster relief; text to local language speech via mobile phones in the developing world; early screening of pre-school children for special educational needs; land-slide prevention and mitigation and a care-alert system for severely disabled people.
For more information of the Social IP project please contact Paul Harrod, 0117 928 8676.
