AUKSA Real-World Impact Lab: From Research to Practice
On Thursday, 20 November 2025, the Austro-UK Science Alliance (AUKSA), in collaboration with ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA UK and the Austrian Business Agency (ABA), will convene the Real-World Impact Lab: From Research to Practice in London.
The forum will bring together representatives of universities (including Imperial College London, the University of Cambridge, the LSE, TU Wien, Universität Wien, among others), research organisations, start-ups, industry, and the investment community from Austria and the United Kingdom to examine effective pathways for translating excellent research into real-world application.
The discussion will focus on practical mechanisms that shorten the distance from discovery to adoption - whether through high-impact spin-outs, licensing, or structured collaboration with corporate partners - highlighting lessons learned, funding instruments along the translation continuum, and the conditions that enable successful pilots. With contributions from practitioners in Austria and the UK, the Lab offers a succinct, comparative view of approaches that have demonstrably enabled impact.
Format
Welcome & Introduction (10 min)
ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA UK · ABA · AUKSA
Panel Discussion (45 min) + Audience Q&A (15 min)
Theme: From Lab to Market - Structures, Incentives, and Processes for Successful Translation
Guiding topics: Spin-out readiness, IP & licensing strategies, founder support, co-development with industry, impact measurement, financing across the translation journey.
Panelists:
TU Wien: Univ. Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr Peter Ertl, Vice Rector for Research, Innovation and International Affairs
Imperial College London: Dr Marika Reay, Cross-Faculty Director of Commercialisation
University of Vienna: Clara Conrad-Bilroth, MS, Venture Creation Lead
University College London: Dr William Lovegrove (Director of Strategic Innovation Partnerships)
Moderator: Marco Kogler, MSc, Managing Partner, FuzeQube Group; Member of the Executive Board, AUKSA
Fireside Chat (20 min): From Practice to Playbook
A founder- and mentor-led conversation on what ventures actually need - deal flow, founder–IP matching, and the support gaps that make or break market-ready translation.
Guests:
Miranda Weston-Smith, Expert in Residence, London Institute for Healthcare Engineering (King’s College London); Business Mentor, Cambridge Enterprise; Founder, BioBeat
Kathrin Folkendt, Founder & CEO, FemTech Insider
Networking (45-60 min)
Exchange and formation of new bilateral collaborations
Recommended Participants:
The event is aimed at researchers, university leadership, technology transfer and international offices, (prospective) spin-out CEOs, industry relations managers, funding agencies, as well as investors, start-ups and corporate partners interested in practical research translation and international innovation networks.