Enterprise Case Studies http://www.ucl.ac.uk/enterprise/all-case-studies-viewer/rss admin 2011-01-07T12:00:52Z A gap in the market for new kind of travel guide http://www.ucl.ac.uk/enterprise/enterprise-case-studies/travel-guide/index Travel can be a mixed blessing, as UCL graduate Sally Broom discovered on a gap year in South East Asia in 2007. Her desire to get off the beaten track and discover the heart of a place had been a success in Thailand, but had led to an unpleasant experience with border guards in Cambodia. The difference, she realised, was the ‘insider knowledge’ gained by having good contacts in Bangkok – and the idea for Tripbod.com , which links curious travellers with trusted locals who can advise them on their journey, was born. admin Melissa Lamptey 2012-11-22T13:05:54Z Fund-raising effort leads to designs on a future fashion empire http://www.ucl.ac.uk/enterprise/enterprise-case-studies/fashion-empire/index When UCL medical student Har-preet ‘Pete’ Ahluwalia wanted to raise funds for the Hindu Society, custom-designed T-shirts was a natural choice. The fashion aficionado had something special in mind: the items would be vinyl-pressed rather than ink-printed, to give a high-quality and longer-lasting finish. admin Melissa Lamptey 2012-11-22T13:05:54Z Boot camp gets UCL graduate in shape for his chosen career http://www.ucl.ac.uk/enterprise/enterprise-case-studies/bootcamp/index Languages graduate Ed Hammerton was concerned about his job prospects during a recession, until he attended a three-day boot camp run by UCL Advances which taught him, through action learning using real-world examples of business problems and solutions, “how to spot business opportunities and act on them.” admin Melissa Lamptey 2012-11-22T13:05:54Z Revolutionary 3D laser scanner brings a modern twist to ancient Egypt’s treasures http://www.ucl.ac.uk/enterprise/enterprise-case-studies/arius3d/index Visits to museums on rainy afternoons have just become a lot more interesting thanks to revolutionary technology that allows artefacts to be scanned and modelled in 3D and then studied from all angles in a way the original could never be. UCL’s Petrie Museum has benefited from a shared-use agreement between the university and Canadian firm Arius3D , which makes the colour laser scanners. admin Melissa Lamptey 2012-11-22T13:05:54Z UCL rides the CREST of a wave with ‘Darwinian’ testing methods http://www.ucl.ac.uk/enterprise/enterprise-case-studies/crest/index Evolutionary ideas have proved revolutionary at UCL’s Centre for Research on Evolution, Search and Testing (CREST), where its director, Mark Harman, has been working with nature-based algorithms for testing software for more than a decade. admin Melissa Lamptey 2012-10-29T15:25:33Z iGE: Grammar on the Go http://www.ucl.ac.uk/enterprise/enterprise-case-studies/ige/index UCL’s innovative interactive Grammar of English (iGE) translates the grammar of the English language into a fun, easy-to-use iPhone App with the potential to benefit a huge number of people. admin Melissa Lamptey 2011-01-07T11:33:38Z Shared energy: UCL and BHP Billiton unite over sustainable resources http://www.ucl.ac.uk/enterprise/enterprise-case-studies/bhp-billiton/index How do we make sure we don’t use up the earth’s resources? It’s a major global challenge, and one that UCL can now examine in far greater depth thanks to a new collaboration with the world’s largest mining and resources company, BHP Billiton. admin Melissa Lamptey 2011-01-07T11:33:38Z Mentor Nasir helps self-improvement site to help others to help themselves http://www.ucl.ac.uk/enterprise/enterprise-case-studies/wishbomb/index Nasir Zubairi – Sloan Fellow, technology consultant and mentor – and Ricky Cooper – former TV producer and new entrepreneur – are now good friends as well as business partners. This follows a successful and ongoing mentoring relationship through UCL Advances’ SMILE programme. admin Melissa Lamptey 2012-04-18T11:08:59Z Putting Education First with a SMILE http://www.ucl.ac.uk/enterprise/enterprise-case-studies/teachus/index Teachus is a London-based tuition agency, covering Camden, Islington and Hackney boroughs amongst others, founded by UCL graduates Jay Ruparelia and Remal Tailor, who had a hard time finding affordable and quality tutors to help them prepare for their exams prior to entering university. When they later met at UCL and shared their experiences with one another, a business was born. admin Melissa Lamptey 2012-04-18T11:08:59Z Mentor for unusual book publisher makes sure the kids are all right! http://www.ucl.ac.uk/enterprise/enterprise-case-studies/kidz4mation/index Delwar Hossain is a UCL alumnus, architect, entrepreneur, executive coach and mentor to minority ethnic children. Yet he was prepared to take on another role when SMILE asked him to mentor Kidz4Mation ( www.kidz4mation.com ), which produces a series of books and run workshops to raise children’s self-esteem. admin Melissa Lamptey 2012-04-18T11:08:59Z What’s in a name? The route to better health in Camden, thanks to a ground-breaking UCL classification system http://www.ucl.ac.uk/enterprise/enterprise-case-studies/camden-pct/index Business wants to know who’s likely to buy life assurance. Public services want to find out who’s at risk of developing diabetes. Geodemographic profiling may help provide the answers. admin Melissa Lamptey 2012-04-12T09:55:05Z A top trade: UCL’s virtual trading room http://www.ucl.ac.uk/enterprise/enterprise-case-studies/reuters/index A unique collaboration between business and academia is offering UCL students unparalleled work experience and delivering high calibre graduates to financial companies.UCL’s partnership with Thomson Reuters – which provides intelligent information for business – has grown so strong that it won the UCL Enterprise Partner of the Year in 2008. admin Melissa Lamptey 2011-01-07T11:36:08Z Infection-free hospitals: a step closer http://www.ucl.ac.uk/enterprise/enterprise-case-studies/odine/index UCL is leading the development of a major class of new medical devices. Translating innovative science into patient benefit, novel antibacterial materials could herald impressive reductions in hospital-acquired infections. admin Melissa Lamptey 2011-01-07T11:36:08Z Mapping for better healthcare http://www.ucl.ac.uk/enterprise/enterprise-case-studies/dfi/index A Knowledge Transfer Partnership between Dr. Foster Intelligence (DFI) and UCL is helping healthcare providers plan and better implement strategies for their local areas. admin 2011-01-07T11:36:08Z Advanced mathematics for human benefit http://www.ucl.ac.uk/enterprise/enterprise-case-studies/coru/index Operational research uses the techniques of mathematics to maximize the productive use of resources in large systems or organizations. At UCL’s Clinical Operational Research Unit, the focus is on the varied challenges that confront the delivery of healthcare. CORU’s director Professor Martin Utley came to the field from high-energy physics in order, he says, ‘to get a feeling of more frequently solving problems’. admin Ralph Bartholomew 2011-01-07T11:36:08Z A polished spin-out: Zeeko http://www.ucl.ac.uk/enterprise/enterprise-case-studies/zeeko When it comes to polishing precision optical surfaces – the smoother and more accurate, the better the performance. That’s where Zeeko comes in. The UCL spin-out uses ground-breaking intelligent robotic polishing technology to create ultra-precision machines with extensive applications, from healthcare to space exploration. admin 2011-01-07T11:33:38Z Interactive map will help to ensure that crime doesn’t pay http://www.ucl.ac.uk/enterprise/enterprise-case-studies/witness-confident/index Witness Confident has set itself a tough task: reducing the level of violent street crime in two London boroughs by a fifth before mid decade. The charity, which encourages the public to take a stand and bear witness, rather than turn a blind eye, needed help to develop an interactive Google map which could see police, victims, witnesses and the general public working together to prevent and solve crime. admin Joel Smith 2011-01-07T11:33:38Z New social media strategy is child’s play for gift company http://www.ucl.ac.uk/enterprise/enterprise-case-studies/wicked-uncle/index Anyone who’s ever been stuck for ideas of what to buy a child for a birthday or Christmas will find Wicked Uncle a godsend. When the online company, which sources unusual gifts for under-12s, wanted to reach out to a younger audience, they approached HELO, who found them a trio of students well-versed in the uses of social media like Twitter and Facebook. admin Melissa Lamptey 2011-01-07T11:33:38Z Tales of Things http://www.ucl.ac.uk/enterprise/enterprise-case-studies/tale-of-things/index ‘If these walls could talk...’ So goes the saying. Well, now they can, thanks to a joint innovation from UCL, Edinburgh College of Art, Brunel University, the University of Dundee and the University of Salford. Tales of Things electronic Memory (TOTeM) is a web-based platform that gives objects – anything from walls to shoes – a voice. It allows users to imbue a thing with the memories they link to it. admin 2011-01-07T11:33:38Z New mobile app lets consumers wait in line remotely http://www.ucl.ac.uk/enterprise/enterprise-case-studies/supalocal/index Brits may soon no longer need to queue patiently, thanks to Supalocal’s new technology. Founder and UCL alumnus Obi Nwosu wanted to find out whether his SMS queue management system would be of benefit to healthcare providers, and he asked HELO to put together a team to conduct market research into this area. admin Melissa Lamptey 2011-01-07T11:33:38Z Space Syntax: Making sense of spaces http://www.ucl.ac.uk/enterprise/enterprise-case-studies/space-syntax Sector-leading company Space Syntax has deep roots in pioneering UCL research. It applies an evidence-based approach to explain why people use spaces as they do, providing valuable knowledge to architects, planners and developers. admin 2011-01-07T11:33:38Z Spinout comes ‘home’ for help with wireless sensor network enhancements http://www.ucl.ac.uk/enterprise/enterprise-case-studies/senceive/index Their original military application having expanded to include myriad industrial and commercial uses, wireless sensor networks are a dynamic research area where enhancements are constantly being sought. UCL spinout Senceive , whose product FlatMesh enables lots of tiny sensors to be positioned discreetly over a densely-packed area, needed the university’s expertise and equipment to test proposed developments to its system. admin Melissa Lamptey 2011-01-07T11:33:38Z Computer science graduate helps London start-up through testing times http://www.ucl.ac.uk/enterprise/enterprise-case-studies/screama/index No company, small or large, wants to risk its reputation by launching a product onto the marketplace without first trying it out on potential users. But for a start-up like computer software development company Screama, based in Camden, Central London, usability testing can be prohibitively expensive. admin Melissa Lamptey 2011-01-07T11:33:38Z Bringing astronomy down to earth http://www.ucl.ac.uk/enterprise/enterprise-case-studies/quantemol Analysing starlight seems about as far removed from solving problems here on earth as it’s possible to get. ‘Astronomical spectroscopy is a long way ahead of applicability,’ admits UCL’s Professor Jonathan Tennyson. ‘I’m a blue-sky physicist. And yet my work has more subtle applications than you might imagine.’ admin 2011-01-07T11:33:38Z PQ2 - Marketing Strategy http://www.ucl.ac.uk/enterprise/enterprise-case-studies/pq2/index PQ2 Ltd, a distributor of greetings cards, stationery and fine arts prints to retail gift shops, interior designers and department stores including Harrods, approached HELO to inject some fresh thinking into its sales strategy. admin Krista Macmillan 2011-01-07T11:33:38Z Joint UCL/LBS team helps Photoedge to sharpen its focus on the future http://www.ucl.ac.uk/enterprise/enterprise-case-studies/photoedge/index Preparing his company to attract potential investment, Peter Rosen sought advice from those with far less experience than he – students from UCL and London Business School (LBS). Put together by HELO and led by MBA student Sebastian Sutherland, a team of six looked at all aspects of Photoedge’s eco-friendly canvas and photo prints business and suggested lowering the cost of production and formalising Peter’s business partnership. admin Melissa Lamptey 2011-01-07T11:33:38Z Corporate massage business gets a timely health check http://www.ucl.ac.uk/enterprise/enterprise-case-studies/on-site-massage/index Corporate massage has become increasingly popular over the past decade. Charlotte Hunter, managing director of the On Site Massage Co., has approached HELO for an objective assessment of the business. The HELO team put together a team of four students who conducted business analysis and drew up a list of recommendations to take the company forward. admin Krista Macmillan 2011-01-07T11:33:38Z New-look website keeps customers fastened to the spot http://www.ucl.ac.uk/enterprise/enterprise-case-studies/modern-screws/index A company that sells 100,000 lines of a very small number of products to a loyal customer base needs a well-designed, user-friendly online catalogue to showcase its wares, as well as a secure e-shop to sell them. Modern Screws, which supplies screws, bolts and fixings to a wide range of industries, asked HELO and UCL Advances’ internship programme for support. admin Melissa Lamptey 2011-01-07T11:33:38Z Making maps work for communities http://www.ucl.ac.uk/enterprise/enterprise-case-studies/mapping-for-change Maps are not only a matter of geographic record, they are also persuasive visual documents that can be used to improve local environments, as many communities are finding with the help of Mapping for Change. admin 2011-01-07T11:33:38Z Competitor review puts Loving Apartments in a holiday mood http://www.ucl.ac.uk/enterprise/enterprise-case-studies/loving-apartments/index Online booking of holiday apartments is now the rule rather than the exception, and customers expect an uneventful journey and smooth landing when they negotiate a company’s web pages. Loving Apartments wanted to test whether its website was delivering what customers wanted – and how it stood against others’ offerings. admin Melissa Lamptey 2011-01-07T11:33:38Z Insuring Against Natural Disasters http://www.ucl.ac.uk/enterprise/enterprise-case-studies/kilburn/index Insurance companies take all manner of risk factors into account when deciding what premiums to set; similarly, reinsurance companies – the insurers’ insurers – need to know how likely it is that an untoward event will happen. Chris Kilburn from the Aon Benfield UCL Hazard Centre (ABUHC) in UCL’s Department of Earth Sciences is trying to predict when and where volcanic eruptions might occur, and the potential damage they could cause to the local area. admin Ralph Bartholomew 2011-01-07T11:33:38Z Marketing plan coaches teachers’ champion to greater success http://www.ucl.ac.uk/enterprise/enterprise-case-studies/integrity-coaching/index Integrity Coaching has not been short of praise from numerous quarters – from journalists to teachers to trade unionists – since it was founded by former head teacher Viv Grant in 2008. Yet last year the company, which offers a range of coaching services to BME (Black and Minority Ethnic) teachers and school leaders, felt that its marketing programme needed reviewing, and Viv asked HELO for help. admin Melissa Lamptey 2011-01-07T11:33:38Z Energy storage concept may be the answer to a greener future http://www.ucl.ac.uk/enterprise/enterprise-case-studies/h2-nrg/index Charlie Dunnill’s prototype for an energy-efficient water-splitting device that can convert electricity into hydrogen has come a long way since he started “tinkering in the barn.” UCL Advances helped to develop a prototype for the H2-NRG WSD, with prize money from the London Entrepreneurs’ Challenge and other sources, as well as with highly technical 3D CAD drawings arranged by the HELO programme. admin Melissa Lamptey 2011-01-07T11:33:38Z Together, we’re stronger: UCL and GSK fight lung disease http://www.ucl.ac.uk/enterprise/enterprise-case-studies/gsk/index UCL have teamed up with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), bringing industry and academia into agreement over a shared goal – tackling the fatal lung disease idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). admin 2011-01-07T11:33:38Z Masters students’ project proves a good deal in the industry du jour http://www.ucl.ac.uk/enterprise/enterprise-case-studies/gogroopie/index UCL alumnus and finance expert Jonathan Mackey decided to start his own business in a recession – and chose the daily-deals industry, with its strong market growth and rapid innovation. admin Melissa Lamptey 2011-01-07T11:33:38Z Business plan bears fruit for a London social enterprise http://www.ucl.ac.uk/enterprise/enterprise-case-studies/firstfruit/index The Natural Harvest Café, based in East Ham hospital, helps some of London’s most vulnerable people, through work and training opportunities for those with mental-health disorders. admin Melissa Lamptey 2011-01-07T11:33:38Z Exploring space: a new model of partnership http://www.ucl.ac.uk/enterprise/enterprise-case-studies/exploring-space/index UCL scientists at the Mullard Space Science Laboratory are partnering with industry in new ways to explore the very beginnings of the universe. admin Ralph Bartholomew 2011-01-07T11:33:38Z Energy Efficient Housing http://www.ucl.ac.uk/enterprise/enterprise-case-studies/energy-efficient-housing/index Although household heating accounts for much of Britain’s energy usage, little is really known about how efficient – or inefficient – our houses are in energy terms. Even basic aspects of domestic comfort, such as the temperature of people’s homes, are unknown. admin Melissa Lamptey 2011-01-07T11:33:38Z SentiMag: Detecting cancer cells effectively http://www.ucl.ac.uk/enterprise/enterprise-case-studies/endomagnetics Cancer specialists may be able to monitor the spread of cancer cells more easily, thanks to research carried out in the labs of Professor Quentin Pankhurst of the Department of Physics & Astronomy at UCL. This pioneering work led to the spin-out company Endomagnetics Ltd, which was set up in 2007 to commercialise the technology. A detecting device, SentiMag, is now available for use in breast cancer patients, and the team is looking at how the technology can be used in patients with other forms of cancer. admin Joel Smith 2011-01-07T11:33:38Z Electrochemical Innovation: from concept to commerce http://www.ucl.ac.uk/enterprise/enterprise-case-studies/eil/index With low emission energy high on everyone’s agenda, electrochemical technologies offer a viable source of green power and low-carbon manufacturing. That’s why UCL’s Electrochemical Innovation Laboratory (EIL), which is developing novel power sources and chemical process technologies, is generating excitement in industry as well as research fields. admin 2011-01-07T11:33:38Z KEA programme leads to a sea-change in career plan for one PhD student http://www.ucl.ac.uk/enterprise/enterprise-case-studies/drewry/index With her expertise in applied econometrics, Tina Liu seemed destined for a career in academia upon completing her PhD. Instead, after nine months working as a Knowledge Exchange Associate (KEA) with Drewry Shipping Consultants Ltd, ostensibly to make her knowledge of the sector “less abstract and more practical”, she says, she’s found an alternative career. Now a full-time consultant at the company, she and Drewry both agree that the UCL Advances-run programme gave them time and space to see if each other’s different perspectives were compatible. In this case, the answer was yes. admin Melissa Lamptey 2011-01-07T11:33:38Z Maintaining the Creative Edge http://www.ucl.ac.uk/enterprise/enterprise-case-studies/arup/index UCL research across a broad range of disciplines helps to ensure that leading design and engineering company, Arup, can stay at the forefront of creativity and innovation. admin Ralph Bartholomew 2011-01-07T11:33:38Z Aerobic Bins – Weight Reduction Calculations http://www.ucl.ac.uk/enterprise/enterprise-case-studies/aerobic/index HELO’s commitment to helping small and medium sized enterprises with the latest innovations was put to the test when a team was asked to prove to local councils that a new system could dispose of biodegradable household waste more effectively. admin Joel Smith 2011-01-07T11:33:38Z Turning turbo design around http://www.ucl.ac.uk/enterprise/enterprise-case-studies/adt The shape of a blade can make or break any turbo machine. UCL spin-out company Advanced Design Technology (ADT) has turned aerodynamic blade design on its head, improving performance, reducing costs and cutting emissions. admin Ralph Bartholomew 2011-01-07T11:33:38Z