UCL Enterprise Awards 2013 - Audio

The UCL Awards for Enterprise celebrate the success of UCL's enterprising community – committed to excellence, innovation, impact and wealth for UCL and for the benefit of the UK.

Professor Pete Coffey has been given this award in recognition of his efforts with the London Project - a research programme that aims to develop a cell therapy for Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD). It is hoped that this will prevent blindness, restore sight and improve sufferers’ quality of life. In particular, the award recognises the work secured with Pfizer to develop treatments for AMD.

Professor of Optical Communications and Networks, UCL Electronic and Electrical Engineering Professor Polina Bayvel is the head of the optical Networks Group in the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering and has been instrumental in working in partnership with Huawei Technologies to explore how to develop better high-speed optical communications and solve problems relating to computer networking. To date, funding from Huawei to UCL has exceeded £500,000. We expect the UCL-Huawei collaboration to grow from strength to strength, helping to achieve UCL’s ambitions in increasing knowledge transfer and supporting Huawei’s R&D efforts in next-generation optical systems.

Mapping for Change is one of the first successful social enterprises developed from the research and community development, public engagement projects conducted at UCL. Its vision is to promote a future in which communities are empowered, sustainable and resilient. People involved can make a difference to their local area through the use of mapping and the applications of geographical information .They offer participatory mapping services to voluntary & community organisations, business organisation or government bodies. Mapping for Change has not only demonstrated an innovative model of social enterprise but also a brilliant example of citizen science - science is by the people and for the people. More importantly, by sharing their experiences and knowledge, Mapping for Change has inspired and helped many UCL members of staff and students and people outside UCL to take on the challenges and opportunities of social enterprise as an important way to contribute to wider society.

(Cameron Nichol: Undergraduate Medical Student, UCL and Elite Athlete at GB Rowing Team, Daniel Sinitsky: General Surgeon, London Deanery, Pasquale Berlingieri: Gynaecologist, Royal Free/UCL) Disepra solves the problem of surgeons having to train by practising on real patients! Disepra is a training organisation aiming to globally revolutionise the way laparoscopic appendicectomies are taught. This will be done by creating the world’s first scientifically validated training curriculum for the laparoscopic appendicectomy using high-fidelity virtually reality simulation.

(Hywel Carver: UCL Mathematics and Physics PhD candidate and Sam Jewell) Matopy solves the problem of “eyes-free” access to any web content. Matopy is a software company which hopes to change the world by revolutionising the way we interact with the web. Matopy creates audio versions of websites, making it possible to listen to and navigate around large amounts of content online. Their innovative and unique new technology has the potential to disrupt the way we experience audio on the internet. This has immediate applications for anyone who wants “eyes-free” access to any web content – from blind and visually impaired people, through people with lower literacy levels, to people who want to surf or check emails while away from their desks. It’s time to listen to the web.

(Alex Siljanovski: UCL Master in Technology Entrepreneurship Sep 2012 and Paul Brown BSc) Apposite solves the problem of abortive work and wasted time on construction sites due to out of date and out of synch drawings. Apposite is a mobile (iPad) and web based application that ensures seamless synchronisation of the latest revisions of drawings anywhere in the world; it provides automatic aggregation of comments and strict version control. Apposite provides searchable, faster, clearer detection and resolution of major problems.

(Wisdom Uzor: Final Year BSc Chemical Engineering, UCL) Index Africana solves the problem of lack of reliable consumer behaviour data in Africa. Index Africana is a market research service that extracts information on consumer behaviours and demographics in Africa through the use of mobile technology. Index Africana sends surveys to consumers’ mobile phones; consumers complete these surveys in return for calling credit. Index Africana’s data will be used by market research organisations, corporates, governments and NGOs to access previously unavailable information on the African continent.

(Ahmad Bakhiet: MSc Technology Entrepreneurship, Kishan Gupta: UCL MSc Information Security 2010-11) SellPlex solves the problems of sellers having to load their items multiple times on multiple platforms SellPlex is disrupting the eCommerce industry by providing sellers with the ability to load on multiple platforms (eBay, Amazon, Gumtree, Facebook Marketplace etc.) simultaneously and with minimal effort. Sellers will no longer have to waste time uploading items to individual platforms manually – SellPlex automates the entire process and facilitates inventory and inbox management.

(Tayab Hasan: UCL Master in Technology Entrepreneurship Sep 2012) RehenSehen solves the problem of having sufficient information to find and evaluate the perfect property in Pakistan. RehenSehen is an online platform where home seekers can browse properties as and when they come on the market. Each property’s photographs and geographical locations are provided so the customer can decide before the actual viewing whether it will be worthwhile, making it efficient for buyer and seller alike. Whilst such a service is readily available in Europe and the US, this is not currently the case in Pakistan, due to various problems which RehenSehen has now solved.

Photosynthesis solves the problem of how to share your digital photos physically, as soon as you take them. Photosynthesis is a lightweight, innovative photo printer that clips on to the back of your mobile phone and prints wirelessly. The accompanying mobile app enables users to customise and upload photos for real-time viewing. Photosynthesis allows family photos to regain a central role in people’s lives. It will give a physical presence to digital photography and deepen the enjoyment of social photography through photo customisation. It allows people to combine the process of photo-taking, modification, digital sharing and physical printing in one place and one time: here and now.

Goldsmid Professor of Mathematics, UCL Mathematics Professor Frank Smith FRS is a world-leading applied mathematician who has engaged enthusiastically and effectively with many industrial partners during his career. The range and depth of activity has been remarkable in recent years involving a variety of partners (e.g Buhler-Sortex, QinetiQ, UK Sport, Unilever, AeroTex, TotalSim, EOARD) covering a wide range of applications (e.g food-sorting machines, aircraft safety, Olympic sports performance, shopping). Funding for research has come in many forms e.g. CASE awards, Faraday and KTN partnerships. This has provided a welcome boost in PhD numbers in the department, as well as forming a major part of UCL's UoA10 REF impact case studies.

HCP Infrastructure has been instrumental in driving forward Facility Management Enterprise research at UCL for many years.They are an SME working in healthcare and education infrastructure but the reach of their organisational supply chain is widespread. Through the company itself and its partner organisations HCP have been responsible for several commercial studentships, Engineering Doctorates and two Knowledge Transfer Partnerships. In addition to this they have provided guest lectures, acted as ambassadors for UCL with overseas guests and have spoken at the “Bartlett Means Business” event, to promote enterprise generally within the Faculty.

Cisco is recognised for the length – and breadth – of their relationship with UCL. It’s origins lie with Prof Peter Kirstein in Computer Science over 30 years ago and that commitment is reflected today by the efforts of Prof Anthony Finkelstein, Dean of Engineering. Last year, Cisco launched an International Internship Programme at UCL, with high level executive support from within the company, which gives an incredible fully funded opportunity to 5 undergraduate students from UCL Engineering each year. The students spend a year working at the company's Headquarters in San Jose, California. Our first five students impressed and this year and next year they wish to take 20! UCL and Cisco have an increasingly close corporate partnership, developing the innovative 'Future Cities Centre' with Imperial College and discussing a range of research collaborations. And there have been further developments. IDEA-London, an innovation 'hot-house' established by UCL, Cisco and DC Thomson, and announced by the Prime M

Silvina has been selected as winner for the UCL Best Mentor award for her efforts with four companies that she has been mentoring since she came on board as a mentor in the summer of 2012. Silvina's background is in finance but she has also run her own ecommerce business for over 5 years and currently is on the board of another small company based in the mining sector. She is also in an angel investment group. The companies that she has mentored have all been in need of assistance in either pitching for finance or pitching to clients. She has been very hands on in helping to develop the companies' pitch and often this has required looking at the overall business and aligning the actions being carried out in the business with the pitch that is being delivered, ensuring that in both the pitch and the business there is a viable strategy. She is good at looking at both the big picture and at small details and is very reassuring to the business owners that she is there if they need her. All have expressed how he

Flat-Club is the world’s largest network of alumni & students of top universities looking for short term accommodation. Flat-Club is helping hosts and guests find people they trust within their existing social networks so hosts can generate extra income while away, and guests save up to 80% of hotel prices. Launched in November 2010, Flat-Club quickly grew within a year from 5 flats in London to 2,000 flats worldwide and is already generating revenues. Flat-Club is a proud member of the London Business School Incubator and has a team of 12 from 10 nationalities. The consultancy team undertook a marketing strategy project to help Flat-Club’s executive management decide about the next phases for growing Flat-Club. Working closely with the CEO the team looked for the reasons that made Flat-Club successful in its first year, and how to replicate the success in another niche market. Flat-Club article: Another great day (or rather, night) for Flat-Club & UCL students to take home an award!

PassivSystems was selected for the successful interdisciplinary collaborations they have established across the University and the strong partnerships they have built with the Energy Institute, Computer Science and the UCL Interaction Centre. To date this company has engaged with us through 3 KTPs over a 4 year period. There were other strong contenders for the award but none matched the impressive breadth and depth of collaboration that the winner of this award has with UCL.

(Arthur Kay: final year BSc Architecture, Benjamin Harriman, March 2012) Bio-bean will recycle coffee grounds into biodiesel and biomass pellets, using a unique combination of three existing ideas: waste collection, biomass pellet production and biodiesel production.

(Dhrupad Karwa: Final Year BSc Economics, Andrew Leung: Final Year BSc Economics, Neer Sharma: Final Year BSc Economics) HaikuJAM is a web and mobile application through which people write haiku poems together, using photo-integration, competitions, “gamification” and other features. HaikuJAM provides creative people with a dynamic and colourful digital haiku writing platform.

(Ian Campbell: final year MSc Management) Aero Forza produces high performance aerodynamically efficient designs for the radio-controlled car market, starting with aero components and bodyshells and for the 1/8th scale on-road RC car market.