Sheffield Innovation Spine
University spinouts and technology-rich start-up companies can be a major contributor to growth in Sheffield through the creation of skilled, high-income jobs and the creation of innovative products. Through the South Yorkshire Investment Zone we have the opportunity to realise this potential.
What is the Sheffield Innovation Spine?
The Sheffield Innovation Spine is a city-wide project between the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, Sheffield City Council, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield Hallam University, and Sheffield Technology Parks. It is a 20 year ambition to create and link the infrastructure required to grow knowledge-led businesses in Sheffield city centre by establishing a district for incubator space, labs and flexible workspaces. It is about a thriving, connected urban community of scaling businesses, co-locating in world-leading facilities on a route weaving through Sheffield city centre.
Linking both universities, the route of the Innovation Spine takes you from Sheffield Station and Sheffield Hallam University’s City Campus, heading north to Sheffield Digital Campus, Castlegate, Riverside, West Bar Square, Tenter Street and West Bar until you reach the University of Sheffield’s main campus. This builds on existing infrastructure and momentum in Sheffield where the city is becoming well known for its startup culture.
The South Yorkshire Investment Zone status allows the partners to bring this vision for the Innovation Spine to life and seek the inward investment, capital development programmes and business support ecosystem required to link up the University of Sheffield's spinout pipeline growth with the growth of technology-rich start-ups in the city.
The University’s track record
The University of Sheffield has steadily increased resources for establishing high-value spinout companies over the last five years and has been recognised as one of the best universities in the country for developing IP and commercialising research.
Since 2017, the University has established 30 new businesses - ranging from advanced medical companies such as Rinri Therapeutics to 4th generation Artificial Intelligence developers such as Opteran.
Together with the expansion of support through the University's Commercialisation Journey, the creation of a £1M annual investment budget and the establishment of Northern Gritstone, there is a dramatic step-change in the number of scalable spinouts launching from the University and raising private Investment.
Contact
Spinouts: commercialisationteam@sheffield.ac.uk
Media: mediateam@sheffield.ac.uk