The Forging Ahead partnership has published its first Annual Report, offering a reflection on the programme’s progress during its first year of operation.
Covering activity from May 2025 to April 2026, the report outlines how the project has begun to strengthen research commercialisation across the Midlands through coordinated regional action.
Forging Ahead brings together 16 universities and partners across the innovation ecosystem to improve the conditions for spinouts and research‑based companies to grow. The report highlights early progress across three core areas:
- Unlocking spinout potential
- Empowering research commercialisation
- connecting the regional ecosystem.
A key focus during the first year has been expanding proven commercialisation programmes so they can be accessed more widely across the region. Researchers have engaged with Medici Enterprise Training, VentureVersity, SPARK The Midlands and IP 2 SME, creating new pathways for founders at different stages of development. The Peer‑to‑Peer Learning Programme has also supported commercialisation teams to share expertise and strengthen capability across institutions.
The report notes the growing emphasis on ecosystem connectivity. The establishment of Forging Links and the Midlands Ecosystem Platform on Dealroom.co has helped founders, investors and commercialisation specialists build new relationships. A series of regional events has also provided opportunities to spotlight Midlands spinouts to investors and industry.
The first year of Forging Ahead demonstrates the value of coordinated regional activity and the collective commitment of partners to improving commercialisation outcomes. Midlands Innovation will continue to work with universities and ecosystem partners to build on this foundation and support the region’s next generation of high‑potential companies.
Welcoming the report, Professor Dan Parsons, Forging Ahead Project Lead & Pro Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation, Loughborough University said: “The activities that have taken place in the first year of the project – now outlined in this annual report – are helping to create a stronger and more coherent innovation pipeline: identifying entrepreneurial talent earlier, developing the skills and confidence needed to pursue commercial opportunities, and connecting innovators to the specialist expertise, networks and investment required at each stage of their journey.”
“The ambition is simple but significant: we want more businesses to start, scale and stay in the Midlands. I encourage anyone with an interest in how the region’s university research is being translated into companies that grow here to read this.”
