Newcastle Innovations: A New Front Door to Collaboration and Growth

Newcastle University has launched Newcastle Innovations, a new initiative designed to make it easier for businesses, investors and partners to connect with the University and turn ideas into real-world impact.

The initiative brings together the University’s innovation, commercialisation and partnership activity under one unified approach—creating a clearer, more accessible pathway for organisations looking to collaborate.

Simplifying Access to Expertise and Opportunity

Newcastle Innovations acts as a single entry point into the University’s extensive resources. Through this approach, businesses and partners can more easily:

• Collaborate on new technologies and ideas
• Access world-class research facilities
• Commission applied research
• Invest in high-growth spin-out businesses
• Develop future workforce skills

By streamlining these opportunities, the initiative aims to accelerate innovation and support sustainable economic growth.

Building on a Strong Track Record

The launch builds on Newcastle University’s established success in innovation and knowledge exchange. In recent years, this has included:

• Supporting 42 active spin-out companies, attracting over £90 million in investment
• Creating more than 300 jobs in 2024/25
• Delivering 46,000+ days of professional development and education

The University continues to work with a broad network of partners—from global organisations such as Siemens and Procter & Gamble to SMEs, public sector bodies and third-sector organisations.

Driving Regional and National Impact

Flagship programmes such as the National Innovation Centre for Data have already demonstrated significant impact, supporting job creation and contributing to long-term economic growth across the North East.

Through initiatives like these, Newcastle Innovations strengthens collaboration between academia and industry—helping organisations improve productivity, explore new markets and scale their ideas.

Collaboration in Action at The Catalyst

The initiative was formally introduced at an event hosted at The Catalyst, located within the Newcastle Helix innovation district—one of the UK’s leading hubs for research and collaboration.

The event brought together over 170 organisations, demonstrating the strong appetite for partnerships between industry and academia.

One example of this collaboration is the partnership between Newcastle University and Pentland (the company behind Berghaus). Working together, they developed innovative legwear technology designed to better support women in outdoor environments—combining scientific research with product development to deliver real-world benefits.

Strengthening Connections Beyond Business

In addition to supporting commercial activity, Newcastle Innovations also plays a key role in public engagement—bringing research and innovation to wider audiences. In 2024/25 alone, University-led events reached over 1.6 million people, helping to connect communities with cutting-edge ideas and discoveries.

A Shared Vision for Innovation

As operators of The Catalyst on behalf of Newcastle University, we are proud to support initiatives like Newcastle Innovations that strengthen the region’s innovation ecosystem and create new opportunities for collaboration.

For more information, visit the Newcastle Innovations website.