Newcastle University has launched a new scheme designed to make it simpler and faster for businesses, investors and entrepreneurs to tap into its research expertise and turn ideas into growing companies.
The initiative, called Newcastle Innovations, is intended to act as a single “front door” – a central point of access through which potential partners can reach the university’s specialist facilities, funding pathways, academic talent and commercial support. The university said it was responding directly to feedback from industry that the route into collaboration had been too complex or unclear.
Estelle Blanks, director of Newcastle Innovations, said: “From a business perspective, the idea is simple – a clear route into expertise, talent, facilities, and partnerships. We are responding directly to feedback from industry, so that more companies can access our support and expertise to accelerate growth, attract investment and create a skilled workforce.”
A single front door to remove barriers
The university said the scheme was designed to remove barriers that had previously held back organisations from working with it. Professor Jane Robinson, pro‑vice‑chancellor for business, partnerships and place at Newcastle University, explained: “Partnership working is at the heart of what we do. Newcastle Innovations is about removing barriers to turn ideas into impact. We are making it easier for organisations to collaborate with us locally, nationally and internationally, to deliver innovation and growth and tangible benefits for businesses, communities and society.”
The launch event on 22 May 2026, held at The Catalyst building in the Newcastle Helix innovation district, was attended by more than 170 businesses and external partners. Blanks, who has 25 years of experience in economic development and innovation, and is a member of the CBI Innovation and Technology board, said the new structure meant that companies no longer had to navigate multiple teams or departments. Instead, a single point of contact could connect them to the right expertise, whether they wanted to co‑develop new technologies, access research facilities, commission applied research, invest in high‑growth spin‑outs or build skills for the future workforce.
Built on a strong track record
Newcastle Innovations builds on an existing network of successful partnerships. The university currently has 42 active spin‑out companies, which have attracted more than £90 million of investment in the past two years alone and created more than 370 jobs. In 2024 alone, investments totalled £41.7 million – the second consecutive year the figure has exceeded £40 million. Notable spin‑out investments that year included £28.9 million for e‑Therapeutics (drug discovery and development), £2 million for Apix Nutrition (bee superfood), £1.6 million for AMLo Biosciences (skin cancer diagnostic tool) and £1.2 million for Newcells Biotech (in vitro tissue models).
The university also delivers a significant programme of continuing professional development, providing more than 46,000 days of CPD and continuing education in the 2024‑25 academic year.
Two flagship initiatives underpin the new scheme. The National Innovation Centre for Data (NICD), established in 2019 with £30 million of government and university funding and based in the Helix district, is designed to transfer data skills to the UK workforce and help organisations harness their data. The university said the centre had already supported the creation of approximately 1,500 jobs and was forecast to boost the North East economy by £742 million over the next decade; it has completed more than 80 projects with external organisations.
The other central programme is the Arrow programme, a bespoke innovation support scheme piloted by Newcastle University in partnership with Durham University, Northumbria University and the University of Sunderland. Arrow employs a dedicated team of “Innovation Associates” who work directly with small and medium‑sized enterprises (SMEs), taking the lead on project delivery and bringing in academic expertise as needed, rather than relying on a traditional brokerage model. The programme offers one‑to‑one time with experts, R&D support, proof‑of‑concept and validation activities, data science expertise, and access to research facilities. It is fully‑funded for eligible regional businesses through the North East Combined Authority.
The university said Arrow had supported more than 300 regional organisations. An independent review projected that its initial phase would help regional SMEs create 143 new jobs, develop 53 new products or services, increase private investment by £2.6 million and boost turnover by £16.9 million. Discussions are now progressing for “Arrow 2.0”, with other regional universities keen to adopt the model through the In‑TUNE initiative.
Case study: outdoor gear that adapts to women’s bodies
Among the business partnerships highlighted at the launch was a collaboration with Pentland Group, the owner of the Berghaus brand. The company used Newcastle University’s expertise to develop a new legwear technology called ZonalAdapt, designed to adapt to women’s bodies and support them when exploring the outdoors.
The university’s advanced sport and exercise research facilities were used for biomechanical modelling and physiological analysis, with more than 100 women taking part in testing. The result is a product with responsive waistbands and targeted compression zones that address comfort and fit issues related to bloating, body fluctuations and fatigue. Berghaus is now incorporating ZonalAdapt into all of its legwear. Sam Munson, new product development lead at Pentland Group, said: “Our collaboration with Newcastle University has been a fantastic example of how industry and academia can work together to better solve challenges real people experience in the outdoors. Working with Newcastle University brought a level of scientific rigour and technical expertise that was invaluable to this project, helping us to push our innovation further and better support women as they hike.”
The university also pointed to long‑standing partnerships with global names such as Procter & Gamble – a collaboration exceeding ten years, with a recent focus on using seaweed in laundry detergents that clean efficiently at low temperatures – and Siemens, which has named Newcastle University a strategic Principal Partner University since 2015. Other partners include Curium Pharma, Northumbrian Water, Dyson, the National Trust and Armatrex.
Sam Munson, new product development lead at Pentland Group, said: “Our collaboration with Newcastle University has been a fantastic example of how industry and academia can work together to better solve challenges real people experience in the outdoors. Working with Newcastle University brought a level of scientific rigour and technical expertise that was invaluable to this project, helping us to push our innovation further and better support women as they hike.”
