The University of Bath is opening a new innovation and enterprise space for student entrepreneurs, researchers and graduate start-ups. The E-Lab will open its doors on Thursday (December 8) as a space to develop and share ideas for products and services, and to access support and mentoring, the university said.
The venue is a significant expansion of the enterprise services provided by the institution, which offers a range of development and collaboration opportunities including support for start-ups, consultancy, securing investment and access to expert research networks.
Numerous spin-out companies have been formed from University of Bath, including Transdermal Diagnostics which is developing what it says could be the first completely needle-free blood sugar monitor.
Professor Jonathan Knight, vice president enterprise, said: "I’m delighted to see our plan for this valuable new space on campus come to fruition. It will serve to strengthen the stream of fledgling businesses emerging from our enterprising community, developing the innovation ecosystem that we are building within the city and the region. It will also provide a natural landing space for business engagement with the university."
Bath University said the E-Lab would be used to support a variety of activities including one-to-one mentoring, specialist advice sessions, start-up workshops, guest speaker events, masterclasses, interviews with entrepreneurs and networking opportunities for students and academics.
The facility will also have collaborative working space, meeting rooms and hot desks, which the university said could be used by the enterprise campus community. It will also provide a physical location for related university initiatives including the ISTART partnership with Bath Spa University, Bath College and Bath and North East Somerset Council, which will help local people gain new skills and re-train for roles in the creative and digital sectors, the university added.
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