FormWatch Project: Management Summary Report

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Undergraduate computing students often produce high quality final-year projects with a software product that has the potential to become commercially viable. It is feasible to identify such projects by enterprise-aware academic staff during the projects' development. The possibilities of these undergraduate project opportunities to produce commercially viable applications and services can be further investigated under the University's Collaborative Venture Fund. Employing the project student, after the successful completion of the project, as a part-time Research Assistant is a cost-effective method of making further progress to commercial exploitation. Additionally, it provides first-rate experience to launch a commercial entrepreneur from the University’s undergraduate courses. The ease of finding commercial partners, willing to incorporate the application into their business and offer the service to their clients, was enhanced with the prospect of making an application via the commercial partner for an award of an Innovation Voucher from Business Link, Yorkshire, although in this particular instance we were unsuccessful. The Proof of Commercial Concept fund provided by Yorkshire Forward is available to take any identified idea that appears to have commercially significant attributes forward to the first stage of commercial exploitation. The possibility of a commercially focused software engineering facility provides an opportunity for the University to provide campus based placements for able students to pursue projects designed to enhance the University’s services. This would not rule out undertaking projectsfor outside entities at commercial rates. This facility would need to be developed or an existing facility enhanced or expanded.