Accelerator Programme Research Articles

EXTH-19. AN INTERNATIONAL ACCELERATOR PROGRAMME FOR RESEARCHERS DEVELOPING NOVEL THERAPIES FOR BRAIN TUMOURS

Abstract Developing a comprehensive translational programme for brain tumours involves navigating numerous challenges, including robustness of preclinical studies, safety, clinical trial design, understanding and addressing regulatory requirements, and funding. Recognising the difficulty of this journey, the Brain Tumour Research Novel Therapeutics Accelerator (BTR-NTA) was launched in 2023. The BTR-NTA is an accelerator programme providing independent expert guidance to de-risk drug or device development through systematic evaluation. The international, multidisciplinary BTR-NTA Committee spans expertise across the entire therapeutic development pipeline. Supported by Brain Tumour Research, the BTR-NTA programme is free for academic applicants. Researchers at any stage of therapeutic development may apply to BTR-NTA. Accepted applicants proceed as follows: 1. Applicants outline their current and prospective data and findings. The proposal and all supporting materials are covered under a confidentiality agreement that protects applicants’ intellectual property; 2. Proposals are reviewed by the BTR-NTA Committee; 3. Applicants and BTR-NTA Committee meet in-person to constructively evaluate the work; and 4. Applicants receive a comprehensive report with feedback on strengths, identification of potential risks, and guidance on next steps. The BTR-NTA Committee dedicates time for in-person meetings with each applicant, and extensive time pre- and post-meeting. Since the launch of BTR-NTA in 2023,14 international groups have applied to the programme and seven therapies have been advanced to the in-person review by the BTR-NTA Committee. Of the applicants who provided feedback on the BTR-NTA programme, all intended to adjust or refine their future work based on the Committee’s input and the average rating of the programme’s helpfulness was 9.5 out of 10. The ultimate goal of BTR-NTA is to help researchers with a potential therapy for brain tumours to navigate the development journey and reach the clinic in an efficient way. This programme will support the development of novel therapies to improve outcomes for patients with brain tumours.

A NEW INTERNATIONAL ACCELERATOR PROGRAMME FOR NOVEL BRAIN TUMOUR THERAPIES

Abstract AIMS Developing a comprehensive translational programme for brain tumours involves navigating numerous challenges, including preclinical study robustness, safety, clinical trial design, understanding and addressing regulatory requirements, and commercialisation. Recognising the difficulty of this journey, the Brain Tumour Research Novel Therapeutics Accelerator (BTR-NTA) was launched in 2023. The BTR-NTA is an accelerator programme providing independent expert guidance to de-risk drug or device development through systematic evaluation. The international, multidisciplinary BTR-NTA Committee spans expertise across the entire therapeutic development pathway. Supported by Brain Tumour Research, BTR-NTA is free for academics and available at nominal cost for industry. METHOD Researchers at any stage of therapeutic development may apply to BTR-NTA. Accepted applicants proceed as follows: 1. Applicants complete a form highlighting their current and prospective data and findings. All materials are covered under a confidentiality agreement that protects their intellectual property; 2. Applicants’ proposals are reviewed by the BTR-NTA Committee; 3. The Applicants and BTR-NTA Committee meet in-person to constructively evaluate the work; and 4. Applicants receive a comprehensive report with feedback on strengths, identification of potential risks, and guidance on next steps. The BTR-NTA Committee dedicates time for in-person meetings with each applicant, and extensive time pre and post-meeting. RESULTS Since the launch of BTR-NTA, 13 international groups have applied to the programme and three groups have had their therapies reviewed in-person by the BTR-NTA committee to date. Of the groups who provided feedback on the programme, 100% intended to adjust or refine their future work based on the BTR-NTA Committee’s input and the average rating of the programme’s helpfulness was 9.5/10. CONCLUSION The ultimate goal of BTR-NTA is to help researchers with a potential therapy for brain tumours navigate the development journey and reach the clinic in an efficient way. This programme will support development of novel therapies to improve outcomes for brain tumour patients.

Describing, knotting, tying: developing emerging media documentary in a creative accelerator context

ABSTRACT This article discusses the experiences of six artists participating in a new Australian creative accelerator programme for emerging media documentary. Attending to the processes, perspectives and frames employed by these artists in developing their early-stage projects, the article explores the diverse practice-based methods employed in developing documentary for emerging media formats. The paper argues for the value of attending to process and practice, as key frameworks that set the context for eventual creative outcomes. In doing so, the paper aims to contribute to knowledge about methods to support artists in developing emerging media documentary in a creative accelerator context.

OTHR-06. A NEW INTERNATIONAL, MULTIDISCIPLINARY ACCELERATOR PROGRAMME FOR NOVEL BRAIN TUMOUR THERAPIES

Abstract BACKGROUND Developing a comprehensive translational programme for brain tumours involves navigating numerous challenges, including robustness of preclinical studies, safety, clinical trial design, regulatory issues, and commercialisation. Recognising this journey can be difficult, the Brain Tumour Research Novel Therapeutics Accelerator (BTR-NTA) was launched. The BTR-NTA is an accelerator programme that provides independent guidance to de-risk drug or device development through systematic evaluation. The international, multidisciplinary BTR-NTA Committee spans the entire therapeutic development pathway to avoid a siloed approach to therapeutic development. Thanks to Brain Tumour Research funding, the BTR-NTA is free for academics and available at nominal cost for industry. METHODS Researchers at any stage of therapeutic development are invited to apply to BTR-NTA, and, if accepted, their application proceeds as follows: 1. The Applicant completes an application form covering work to date and future plans under a confidentiality agreement that protects the Applicant’s intellectual property; 2. The Applicant’s therapeutic is reviewed by the BTR-NTA Committee 3. The Applicant and BTR-NTA Committee meet in-person to discuss the Applicant’s work; and 4. The Applicant receives a comprehensive report with feedback on strengths, identification of potential risks, and guidance on next steps. The BTR-NTA Committee dedicates half a day to reviewing the Applicant’s work in-person, and extensive time pre- and post-meeting. RESULTS Following the launch of BTR-NTA in 2023 and review of the first therapies, we will report on impact to date, early learnings, and how we hope to grow BTR-NTA to accelerate novel brain tumour therapies globally. CONCLUSIONS The ultimate goal of BTR-NTA is to enable researchers with a potential therapy for brain tumours to navigate the development journey and successfully reach the clinic in an efficient way. It is hoped this programme will strengthen international collaboration and support the development of novel therapies to improve outcomes for brain tumour patients.

Learning to ride the high growth “Rollercoaster”: the role of publicly funded business accelerator programmes

AbstractHigh growth firms (HGFs) are a vital determinant of regional economic competitiveness. This paper examines the effectiveness of a Welsh publicly funded business accelerator programme (BAP) designed to nurture HGFs via relational support measures. The paper teases out both the support requirements sought by high growth entrepreneurs, together with the perceived effectiveness of the programme’s offering. Hitherto, the literature has been silent in terms of the mental well-being and psychological resilience of founders of HGFs. This study discovered how mental well-being and psychological resilience of entrepreneurs was very acutely and detrimentally affected when experiencing periods of rapid firm growth. The research also uncovered a disconnect between the support needs of HGFs and those provided by BAPs. To help develop the capabilities and durability of entrepreneurs, “growth readiness” coaching together with psychological resilience training seem appropriate policy measures to help entrepreneurs successfully navigate turbulent episodes of high growth.

Assessing the impact of seed accelerators in start-ups from emerging entrepreneurial ecosystems

This study provides new evidence regarding the significance of enrolling in a seed accelerator programme for the performance and prospects of startups. The main novelty and contributions of this work lie in siting the analysis within an emerging entrepreneurial ecosystem (EE) and exploring the impact of both the business model and technological levels of new ventures. We tested a set of six hypotheses through empirical analysis of a dataset comprising 735 startups located in Valencia (Spain), a region representing the category of an emerging, medium-sized EE. The findings revealed that within this EE, the advantages of being accelerated tended to diminish and were more marginal than expected. Furthermore, the seed accelerator profile appeared to be of little importance to the prospects and attractiveness of firms to investors. Interestingly, their technological levels were strongly correlated with higher investment but not with a higher number of employees. The expected direct relationship between funding and firm size was also confirmed. A particularly noteworthy finding was the direct relationship between a higher technological level and business-to-business (B2B) models, as well as the opposite relationship for business-to-consumer (B2C) models. These findings have several significant implications for management and policymakers, including the apparent lack of advantages for accelerated firms in closing large investment rounds and the recommendation that incubators prioritise new ventures with high technological capacity and focussing on B2B models. Finally, we highlight the profile of startups with strong prospects for attracting investment and scaling up.

Trigger points and high growth firms: the vital role of founder “sensing” and “seizing” capabilities

PurposeResearch on high growth firms is booming yet a strong conceptual understanding of how these firms obtain (and sustain) rapid growth remains (at best) partial. The main purpose of this paper is to explore the role founders play in enabling episodes of rapid growth and how they help navigate this process.Design/methodology/approachThis paper reports the findings from a qualitative study involving in-depth interviews with entrepreneurs enlisted onto a publicly funded high growth business accelerator programme in Wales. These interviews explored the causes of the firms rapid growth, their key growth trigger points and the organisational consequences of rapid growth.FindingsThe research reveals that periods of high growth are intrinsically and inextricably inter-linked with the entrepreneurial traits and capabilities of their founders coupled with their ability to “sense” and “seize” pivotal growth opportunities. It also demonstrates founder-level dynamic capabilities enable firms to capitalise on pivotal “trigger points” thereby enabling their progression to a new “dynamic state” in a firm’s temporal evolution.Originality/valueThe novel approach towards theory building deployed herein is the use of theoretical elaboration as means of extending important existing theoretical constructs such as growth “trigger points” and founder dynamic capabilities. To capitalise on these trigger points, founders have to undergo a process of “temporal transitioning” to effectively manage and execute the growth process in firms. The work also has important policy implications, underlining the need for more relational forms of support for entrepreneurial founders.

Do accelerators matter for innovative firms’ financial performance? Empirical evidence from Korea

ABSTRACT Accelerators, which serve distinct roles from incubators, play a pivotal role in the success of startups. Although numerous studies have explored the relationship between incubators and firm performance, only a few have examined the effectiveness of accelerators, with inconsistent findings. Moreover, due to data availability constraints, studies focusing on the impact of accelerators on startups’ financial performance are lacking. We empirically examine how startups’ financial performance is influenced by the accelerator programme provided by the Korea Technology Finance Corporation. Our findings show that startups participating in the accelerator programme experienced increased asset turnover through sales growth; however, this did not translate into an improved return on assets. Our study contributes to the literature on accelerators by utilising a dataset that provides financial variables of startups and incorporates financial performance as an additional dimension of empirical evidence.

Maintenance planning innovation: realising planning and execution efficiencies through process and digital transformation

As oil and gas facilities age, the need to allocate finite planning effort across mounting scopes of work increases. Woodside has tackled this problem head-on, seeking innovative solutions to reduce waste in deploying low-complexity asset maintenance. Through its Accelerator Programme, Woodside has employed new capabilities – such as enterprise design thinking and agile at scale delivery – conducting over 200 interviews and prototype tests to deeply understand maintenance priorities and identify opportunities to realise value, organisation wide. The result is an in-house scope management application, which supports the end-to-end maintenance planning workflow. The application considers multiple data points on thousands of work orders in seconds, using a sophisticated algorithm to incorporate industry knowledge and business priorities specific to Woodsides’ needs. The application produces a maintenance plan optimised by understanding location, equipment and process efficiency drivers to ensure the best utilisation of resources. The embedding of intelligent automation represents a cultural shift, enabling a move towards a more dynamic maintenance planning process that responds to changing asset priorities. Currently, 41% of all North-West Shelf Gas Project scopes are managed through the application. A 95% reduction in selection time and a 90% reduction in overall planning duration have been realised from this initiative. By releasing valuable planning effort back to the business to focus on complex scope, Woodside can realise and maintain safe, reliable and efficient operations in a low-cost, variable environment.

Relationship-building in the post-acceleration phase of corporate accelerators: empirical evidence from Germany

Corporate accelerators have become a relevant intermediary that connects startups and corporations. Their strategic goal is to establish close relationships between startups and corporations that add value for both parties in the long term. While in principle startups go through an acceleration phase successfully, they may struggle to build meaningful relationships with the accelerator’s corporate parent thereafter. In research, the post-acceleration phase and its challenges for corporations and startups has not been adequately addressed to date. Therefore, the goal of this article is to shed light on how corporations and startups collaborate after startups leave an accelerator programme, and which factors hinder successful relationship-building. Grounding on 21 corporate accelerator cases containing data from 99 semi-structured interviews with corporate accelerator managers and startup alumni of accelerator programmes, we present different forms of post-programme collaboration and outline obstacles of post-programme relationship-building. Our results emphasise a key role of business units in successful relationship-building and indicate legitimacy problems of accelerators within its corporate organisation. We also provide guidance for corporations, accelerators, and startups on how to increase the success of post-programme collaboration by demonstrating manifold challenges of post-programme collaboration and showing ways how to overcome them.

Perceptions about Corporate Ethical Behaviour in the Founders’ Country of Origin and Ventures’ Admission into Impact‐Oriented Accelerator Programmes: Cross‐Country Evidence

AbstractBuilding on the upper echelon and signalling theories, we hypothesize that perceptions about the corporate ethical behaviour in the country of origin of a venture's founders may provide an important piece of information to the selection committees of impact‐oriented accelerator programmes that serves as a signal for the trustworthiness and opportunistic behaviour of the founding team. In turn, this could have implications for the decision regarding admission into a programme. Using a sample of over 16,000 early‐stage ventures from 131 countries that applied to 287 accelerator programmes, we find evidence consistent with this hypothesis. Our results show that better perceptions about the ethical behaviour of the founding team enhance the likelihood of admission into an impact‐oriented accelerator programme. The role of perceived ethics appears to be stronger in the case of programmes that guarantee some kind of financing. Further analysis shows that the strength of both formal and informal institutions moderates the relationship between the ethical perceptions and the admission likelihood.

A sea change

A sea change

Open innovation programmes related to data and AI: How do the entrepreneurial orientations of startups align with the objectives of public funders?

AbstractOpen innovation programmes related to data and artificial intelligence have interested European policy-makers as a means of supporting startups and small and medium-sized enterprises to succeed in the digital economy. We discuss the objectives behind the typical service offerings of such programmes and propose a case for exploring how they align with the motivations of individual companies who are targeted by these initiatives. Using a qualitative analysis of 50 startup applications from the Data Market Services Accelerator programme, we find that applicants wrote most frequently about fundraising, acceleration and data skills. A smaller number of startups expressed interest in services related to standardization or legal guidance on General Data Protection Regulation and intellectual property rights, which are some of the ongoing priority areas for the European Commission. We discuss how the value propositions of these less desired offerings can be amplified by appealing the existing business motivations of data-driven startups.

Innovations to solve real-world challenges

The Digital Catapult’s Made Smarter Technology Accelerator Programme is giving start-ups the opportunity to develop digital solutions for manufacturing headaches faced by industry heavyweights. The final four have now been selected to go through to the final stage

Alternative proteins attract investment

Alternative proteins attract investment

A critical evaluation of the National Innovation Accelerator programme: comparing eHealth and medical device-based innovations

Background/Aims The National Innovation Accelerator was developed in 2014 to increase the uptake of innovation across the NHS by providing strategic funding to candidates. This study aimed to critically evaluate the success of the National Innovation Accelerator in supporting innovation in the NHS. Methods Innovations that were supported by the National Innovation Accelerator were categorised into ‘eHealth’, ‘healthcare centre medical devices’, ‘mobile medical devices’ and ‘other’. Peer-reviewed literature was used to assess all innovation types. For eHealth innovations, organic website traffic and app store reviews were also used to assess patient engagement and popularity. Results The majority of innovations supported by the programme were categorised as eHealth; however, these were also more likely to be unsuccessful in terms of patient engagement. Meanwhile, healthcare centre and mobile medical devices were likely to be supported by peer-reviewed studies and clinical trials. Conclusions The success of the National Innovation Accelerator in supporting healthcare innovation varies depending on the type of innovation, with innovations in medical devices achieving greater success than eHealth innovations.

Entrepreneurship Education as a Strategy to Build Regional Sustainability

Entrepreneurship education (EE) is a means to create economic activity and is of importance in the development of rural regions. Entrepreneurship education is generally conducted by three different methods: (1) teaching students about entrepreneurial themes, (2) developing the capabilities of becoming a successful entrepreneur for enterprise and (3) developing capabilities through enterprise by which persons learn through experience and discovery. Our research question is; How does education through entrepreneurship fit as a way to meet the needs of start-ups in a rural context? We follow an entrepreneurial case programme in our study by conducting observations of and interviews with 26 persons involved in the programme. Our findings are that participants consider the programme as an important contribution to the local/regional entrepreneurial ecosystem. However, it is also described as a short-lived ecosystem, from which the participants mostly benefit while on the programme and to a lesser degree afterwards. Sustainability plays a part in attracting participants but to a lesser degree forms the educational content and evaluation parameters. Our study contributes to the discussion of how education through entrepreneurship is organised as an accelerator programme to help start-ups in a rural context.

Developing Little Bridge as an evidence-informed English language learning platform for 6–12 year olds

English is considered by many to be the global language of business and communication and, as such, parents and educators in countries in which English is not a native language are now encouraging children to study English at a young age. Much second language teaching and learning, however, does not take into account the real-world context within which language will be put to use. Little Bridge has developed an English language learning platform for students aged 6−12 years, within which learners acquire English vocabulary and skills and are able to apply what they have learned in real conversations with other English learners around the world. As part of UCL’s EDUCATE research accelerator programme, Little Bridge worked with a mentor to design and conduct mixed-methods research into the relationship between this social aspect of their platform and students’ achievement in learning English. Findings suggested that Little Bridge users who are the most active participants in the platform’s social network also complete more of the platform’s learning activities and achieve better results than those with the lowest social participation rates. The relationship between the academic mentor and Little Bridge enabled the company to develop a research mindset, understand the value of the data that they already have, and improve their understanding of the platform.

Designing a Digital Research Accelerator Programme for the Social Sciences at UCD: Preliminary Results of a Faculty-Library Collaboration

Alongside calls in the literature for research skills development for undergraduates, University College Dublin’s College of Social Sciences and Law (CoSSL) has identified a need for research skills education for its new Bachelor of Social Sciences programme. In collaboration, academics and the library have created a new course, the Social Sciences Research Accelerator, designed to provide foundational learning of research skills for students transitioning to conduct research projects in their final year. Preliminary testing of the course, which included a small user-testing group of undergraduates who engaged with course activities and then completed a survey evaluation, has been positive. This paper details the partnership between academics and library staff towards a common scholarship goal, including the creation of learning materials, early testing of content, and future work.

Career accelerator programme launched.

Career accelerator programme launched.