Research and university leaders
Win interdisciplinary research, and turn it into ventures and impact.
Start with STEAM Xcelerate: interdisciplinary by design, impact by default.
For principal investigators and research directors; pro-vice-chancellors for research and enterprise, deans, and heads of technology-transfer offices (TTOs), commercialisation teams and science parks, in the UK and overseas.
How CBIT works with research and university leaders
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Interdisciplinary research, from bid to impact
STEAM Xcelerate: the method behind CBIT’s two awards in UKRI’s Cross-Research Council Responsive Mode, brought into your next bid, then impact tracked and analysed by AI agents with ImpactTracker, CBIT’s platform.
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Venture partner for your bid
A named partner that runs the venture-creation or commercialisation work in your bid, with Venture Builder support as in-kind match.
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A programme for your researchers
STEAM Founder cohorts that turn research into ventures: an AI-first lean start-up journey for researchers, technicians and student founders.
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Executive PhD routes for your CDT or DTC bid
Doctoral routes inside your doctoral-training bid: the Executive PhD route and the practitioner-doctorate route.
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Build your innovation ecosystem
Build or strengthen a research-commercialisation ecosystem, with Train-the-Trainer for your technology-transfer, science-park and incubator staff.
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Founder sprints
A UK sprint for the student and researcher founders you send: market validation, mentoring, a showcase and a pitch day.
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Sister centres
A long-term partnership: a sister centre that hosts repeat programmes, reciprocal soft landing for ventures and joint bids.
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Keynotes and masterclasses
A keynote by Professor Xiao Ma, or a masterclass for your leaders, teams or researchers.
Not sure where to start?
Answer a few short questions and we will point you to one way in.
Track record
Professor Xiao Ma, CBIT’s Director: BeefTwin £1.2m (Project Lead, Round 1) and EASE £1.2m (Project Co-Lead, Round 2) — the only UK researcher to have won awards in both rounds of UKRI's Cross-Research Council Responsive Mode. EASE is co-led with Dr Iryna Kuksa, NTU School of Art & Design.
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£5.5m+
in public funding secured for research and innovation, with partners
since 2022
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30+
Thai entrepreneurs hosted in the UK under the STEAM Founder programme
2024–2026
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500+
professionals trained in Thailand (MHESI and Chiang Mai University programmes, 2024–2026)
2024–2026
Source: CBIT figures registry v1.8 (1 October 2026). Figures and sources
Impact stories
More stories for research and university leaders
Work with CBIT
You contract with Nottingham Trent University (NTU). CBIT, the Centre for Business and Industry Transformation, is part of Nottingham Business School at NTU. NTU signs grants, contracts and agreements; CBIT delivers the work. The CBIT Venture Builder is CBIT’s programme for founders.
Start small: bring us into one bid at the expression-of-interest stage, for its interdisciplinary method or its venture engine, or run one STEAM Founder cohort for your researchers.
Tell us the call, the deadline and the role you have in mind.
Or meet us first
Book a keynote or masterclass
A keynote by Professor Xiao Ma, or a masterclass for your leaders, teams or researchers.
Email us about a keynote or masterclass