Dr. Richard Taylor, Chief Technical Officer at Vector Photonics, has been invited to roundtable discussions on ‘spin-outs and start-ups’, hosted by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and The House of Commons Scottish Affairs Committee. The discussion will facilitate engagement with Scottish start-up and spinout companies, allowing the Scottish Affairs Committee to better understand the support needed whilst they form and scale. IP considerations and international collaboration opportunities are also on the agenda.
Richard explained, “It is a privilege to be asked to contribute to the House of Commons Scottish Affairs Committee roundtable discussions on start-ups and spinouts. Vector Photonics is a spinout from the University of Glasgow, formed to commercialise PCSELs, a revolutionary new semiconductor laser technology. UK government funding, such as from UKRI, helped us reduce early-stage, development risk and contributed to headcount. It also made equity investment, essential for scaling, easier to secure.
“I am keen to press home Scotland’s position as a world-leader in optics and compound semiconductor laser development and production. Meeting the needs of startups, especially those in enabling technology sectors like ours, brings high, gross value added (GVA) jobs to Scotland and contributes significantly to Scottish GDP. Im hoping to bring this and other valuable start up and scaling experience to the table.”
The roundtable discussion takes place on 29th January 2024 at the Higgs Centre for Innovation, at the Royal Observatory Edinburgh.
