We鈥檝e asked some of the UK鈥檚 most successful scientists-turned-inventors for their top tips to turn your idea into a reality
Get an early start
Emily Cummins was making her own toys from scrap materials at the age of four. Now, as a 22-year-old business studies undergraduate she has already invented a sustainable fridge that runs off dirty water and solar energy. It is ideal for use in developing countries, using simple technologies to solve the problem of a lack of refrigeration to keep food and medicines cold, which affects a large number of people.
鈥淚nventors are rarely rocket scientists, they鈥檙e just efficient problem-solvers. Find a problem, then start researching existing methods you could use to solve it鈥�
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Talk your way to riches
The streets really could be paved with gold, and Angela Murray, a chemical engineering research student from the University of Birmingham, is working on a way to find out. Angela has developed a potentially lucrative technology for collecting platinum and other precious metals that fall off the autocatalysts in cars and end up in dust. She has set up a business, Roads to Riches, to develop the technology. Angela is also part of , a national campaign to help students develop an idea into a real business.
鈥淚 spent two and a half years as a holiday rep, which proved hugely useful in learning to talk to people and selling ideas鈥�
Acquire some unique skills
You don鈥檛 want to stick your hand into a cow鈥檚 derriere if you aren鈥檛 totally sure what you are doing. Thanks to Sarah Baillie, veterinary students no longer have to. Sarah was a veterinary surgeon until a medical problem put her out of action, but instead of giving up her profession, she went back to university and did a PhD in computer science. The tools she learned helped her to make a simulator which uses tactile feedback to recreate the inside of a cow. That means students can practise on the model before handling a live animal. Lecturers can monitor the students鈥� actions on a screen and change the settings to, say, make the 鈥渃ow鈥� feel as a pregnant cow would.
鈥淚n one person, you have someone with the programming skills, the clinical experience and a passion for teaching. Put the three together and that鈥檚 a powerful mix鈥�
Cure a disease
Drug discovery can take decades, so you need loads of commitment, says Steve Jackson of the University of Cambridge. He found and developed a drug that prevents certain DNA repair proteins from working, offering a new treatment for cancer. With help from his university and Cancer Research UK, Steve set up his own business to make the drug, which was bought by AstraZeneca for 拢120 million.
鈥淒rug discovery and development take a lot of commitment, effort and resources. But it is well worth the effort鈥�
鈥淧utting a figure on this is difficult. You could spend years without earning anything, but one great invention has the potential to be worth millions鈥�
Essential skills
- A passion for problem-solving, and self-belief
- Good communication and persuasion skills
- A garden shed (optional)
A helping hand
This programme matches entrepreneurial students, graduates and postgrads with placements in businesses in London, aiming to improve their skills and CV.
This scheme will invest up to 拢2 million in early-stage technology businesses, or ideas related to business creation.
Business courses
Ideal if you have a great idea, but can鈥檛 imagine turning it into a business. MBA courses will give you the skills and confidence you need to commercialise an idea, while increasing your future earnings.
Its website lists innovation competitions, from designing green buildings for Whitehall to encouraging children to get active. Especially suitable for those who have already set up a small business.