Empowering Belfast Researchers to Drive Net Zero Innovation

Eighteen researchers from Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) completed Grand Scale Net Zero Ignite in 2025, an intensive eight-week entrepreneurial education programme designed to turn cutting-edge research into real-world impact.

Driving Research-Led Innovation for a Greener Future

Delivered by Grand Scale in partnership with QUB and funded by HEIF through the Department for the Economy NI, the initiative equipped eight research teams with the skills, tools, and mindset to explore commercialisation pathways for their sustainability-focused innovations.

Since then, the impact has continued to ripple across Northern Ireland’s innovation landscape — from competition success to new funding ambitions — underscoring the long-term value of early-stage entrepreneurial education.

A Transformative Learning Experience

Before the programme began, teams were clear that while their research was technically strong, they lacked commercial experience and confidence in turning promising innovations into commercially viable opportunities. The pre-programme discovery survey highlighted three consistent development needs:

1. Commercialisation strategy — exploring viable routes to market (including licensing or spin-outs) and developing scalable, sustainable business models
2. Market understanding & fit — identifying customers, exploring market segments, and validating product–market fit to ensure research aligns with genuine market demand
3. Funding & investment readiness — learning how to access funding, understand the investment landscape, build a clear strategy, and communicate value to investors. 
   
   As one of the participants, Research Fellow Juan Jose Villora Pico commented, one of his three key goals was to “gain access to funding and investors to accelerate the development and implementation of our solution helping scale our impact on reducing carbon emissions.”

Over two months, the programme guided participants through the commercialisation journey as a whole, significantly shaping their commercial mindset, capabilities, and confidence — empowering them to:

• Rigorously test and validate their ideas with real customers
• Identify the most effective routes to market
• Engage investors and partners to accelerate commercial growth
   

Roisin Garland, Cofounder of Grand Scale, explained:

Programme Outcomes

By the end of the two-month intensive programme, the cohort demonstrated strong results, including high participant satisfaction and tangible growth in commercial acumen:

• 89% CSAT and an NPS of 81 (NPS scores above 70 are considered world-class)
• 176% increase in overall commercialisation skills
• 257% boost in ability to develop a go-to-market strategy
• 139% enhancement in understanding the funding and investment landscape, and how to attract finance to fuel their commercialisation journey

At the end of the programme, seven of the eight teams indicated plans to secure their first round of funding within a year.

Participant testimonials further underscore the programme’s impact: 

Leanne Jennings, Cofounder of Grand Scale, reflected:

Real-World Impact Already Emerging

The cohort’s innovations span everything from CO₂-to-fuel technologies and advanced battery materials to water purification systems and novel gas storage vessels.

One standout project from Dr Vishal Sharma (Reader, School of Electronics, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science) has demonstrated strong momentum beyond the programme, which ran from May to June 2025. What began as an early-stage proof of concept during Ignite progressed quickly after completion — reaching the semi-finals of Catalyst’s INVENT competition in August 2025, showcasing the potential of academic innovation to compete on the national stage. 

Since then, the project has continued to evolve into Sourcing Lens, a spinout in process, as the team works towards scaling a market-fit product for traceable sustainability and procurement intelligence.

Peter Nawa, Innovation Programme Manager at QUB, noted:

Looking Ahead

As the participating teams continue to develop their ventures, Grand Scale Net Zero Ignite has laid vital groundwork for a stronger pipeline of net zero projects in Northern Ireland. With upcoming proof-of-concept and innovation funding rounds on the horizon, these researchers are now better positioned to turn ideas into impact.

Grand Scale Net Zero Ignite was funded by HEIF through the Department for the Economy NI and delivered in partnership with Queen’s University Belfast (QUBIS).