Innovation Labs – bringing business and academic leaders together

Helping businesses address their needs and take on new challenges, the Innovation Labs at The University of Manchester allows them to co-create with academics.

Opening the door to Manchester's diverse talent

Manchester’s Innovation Labs were created to address business needs by giving leaders access to the diverse academic talent across the University, along with the chance to scope out projects with the potential to precede large-scale follow-on funding opportunities. 

Working in small groups of both business representatives and multidisciplinary academics, the teams develop research projects and pitch proposals for seed corn funding to a panel of experts. 

To date, the Innovation Labs have led to several successful outcomes for both the University and businesses, including collaborative research funding proposals; funded PhDs; new cross-disciplinary relationships within the University; academics who are more confident in the value of engaging with businesses; businesses that see the benefit of academic engagement; and relationships that can be leveraged for other projects. 

Cummins Inc.

Cummins Inc., a global power leader, is a corporation of complementary business segments that design, manufacture, distribute and service a broad portfolio of power solutions, such as diesel engines, generators and zero emissions technologies. Cummins approached the Innovation Labs with its desire to explore a wider range of academic expertise within the University and collaborate on new research projects. 

The Company presented a number of business challenges, ranging from using AI in product cycles and achieving Cummins company vision for a zero-emissions future, to questions around optimising combustion engines and machinery. For each business challenge, two Cummins employees were paired with four academics, plus business engagement professionals, and overseen by a team of creative consultants.

Real world impact

As a result of the Cummins Innovation Lab, four mutually beneficial and co-created project proposals were put forward for funding. We have begun a number of projects off the back of the Innovation Lab and jointly committed to collaborative projects with a cumulative value more than £5 million.

Thanks to the collaborative nature of the Innovation Lab, 90% of Cummins staff who attended provided feedback that they felt they had established new relationships with Manchester academics while 87% of the participants said they would recommend a Lab to their colleagues.

This is just one success story. The Innovation Labs cultivate strategic partnerships that help: