Deadline: 10-Oct-22
The Royal Academy of Engineering has launched its Leaders in Innovation Fellowships (LIF) programme to build the capacity of engineers and researchers for entrepreneurship and commercialisation of innovations which support the social welfare and economic development of emerging and developing countries.
The LIF Global programme brings together a cohort of innovators within emerging economies across the world and provides them with bespoke training, mentoring and networking opportunities, both internationally and in the UK.
Objectives
- Increased business starts, survival and performance.
- New and high value jobs created.
- Greater adoption of engineering innovation which addresses social, environmental, and economic challenges.
- Improved local ecosystems to support entrepreneurship and innovation.
- Increased local and international collaboration between businesses and research institutions which will promote engineering innovation and support commercialization.
- Enhanced connection of the most promising global science, research and innovation talent to the UK and stronger relationships between the UK and participants’ countries.
Connecting to the UK ecosystem
- As part of LIF Global 2022, entrepreneurs travelled to the UK for individual business meetings, commercialisation training, network-building events, and business growth simulations. Entrepreneurs visited multiple innovation hubs: London, Durham University Business School, Cambridge’s Judge Business School and Cambridge Enterprise. Innovators heard from a range of panellists including chambers of commerce, city incubators, entrepreneurs, social enterprises and sustainable innovation specialists.
- On the final day of the programme, innovators pitched in sector-specific rooms to a judging panel chosen for their expertise. Five prizes worth £5,000 of follow-on training were then granted based on pitching, engagement, peer-support and sustainability.
- LIF Global 2023 will follow a similar model, though changes may occur in visit locations and pitch day organisation.
Programme Structure
Programme Structure LIF Global has three pillars:
- Individual needs analysis and goal setting
- LIF Global is bespoke to each participant’s needs, with the goal of supporting each individual to identify pathways to commercial growth and development. Participants will work closely with their peers, mentors, and trainers to define short- and medium-term goals, and action plans to achieve them.
- Ecosystem integration
- LIF Global will expand and diversify participants’ networks within the academic and private sectors, creating deeper connections to their local economy. Building new local and international collaboration between firms and research institutions will also improve the ecosystem’s ability to support entrepreneurship and innovation in the longer term.
- Cohort formation and streaming
- The emphasis in LIF Global is on the formation of a strong cohort. While all participants receive bespoke, individualised support, they will also benefit from relationships and shared experiences with their LIF peers. Depending on the size of the cohort, participants may be further streamed into smaller groups each focused on a particular challenge common to members of the group.
Eligibility Criteria
Specific eligibility criteria are as follows:
- Applicants must be a citizen or resident of Colombia, Egypt, Jordan, Mexico, Turkiye, or Vietnam.
- The innovation must be at technology readiness level 4 (TRL 4) or above. Evidence of a prototype must be provided in the application.
- The applicant’s innovation can be any new product, technology or service, based on research in engineering defined in its broadest sense to encompass a wide range of fields, including –but not limited to –
- Agricultural technology
- Biotechnology
- Chemical engineering
- Civil engineering
- Computer science
- Design engineering
- Electrical and electronic engineering
- Materials science
- Mechanical engineering
- Medical engineering.
- Candidates must be the original innovator and own shares in the company created.
- The innovation should have the potential to benefit the applicant’s country, and/or other low and middle income countries, in terms of improving social welfare and driving economic development, and they should contribute one or more of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
- The primary application of the innovation must NOT be in the defence, military, or fossil fuel-based energy sectors.
- LIF alumni can’t apply to LIF Global 2023. They can, however, apply to LIF Advance.
- Candidates can’t apply with an innovation/business that has been supported by LIF before (LIF 1 to 7 or LIF Global 2022). LIF Global supports businesses only once.
- Applicants must be able to commit to LIF Global for a minimum of 10 hours during the ‘welcome week’ of the onboarding and beginning of the remote training (week 5 December), and at least 20 days for training and mentoring between January and July, including a minimum of 10 days for the UK Residential in July. This implies being able to secure permission from all relevant employers to attend the programme if selected. The Academy will provide documentation on LIF counting as training or continuous personal development if required once you have joined the cohort. Applicants must be able to commit to travel internationally. All costs associated with the LIF Global programme will be paid for by the Royal Academy of Engineering, with the exception of visas and travel insurance . Participants will be asked to purchase a travel insurance covering COVID-19 testing and quarantine costs. The Academy will consider covering the costs of any caring needs related to travel on a case-by-case basis.
- Applicants will not need to cover any costs associated with the training programme in the UK.
- Candidates will need to demonstrate fluency in English to participate. This will be a key assessment metric. Make sure to write your application and upload materials fully in English to avoid being penalized: most UK reviewers are native English speakers. Please note that the residential programme will be conducted entirely in English.
- Applicants must be committed to Academy goals around sustainable development and responsible innovation.
- Applicants must have a strong interest in commercialisation. Though previous experience of commercialisation or involvement with technology transfer is not required, this criterion is essential to successfully completing the programme, and will be a key assessment metric.
For more information, visit https://raeng.org.uk/programmes-and-prizes/programmes/international-programmes/leaders-in-innovation-fellowships/lif-global/how-to-apply