Start-ups: from campus to commerce

Business Daily

BBC

News, Business

4.4 • 796 Ratings

🗓️ 13 April 2025

⏱️ 18 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Thousands of businesses have 'spun-out' from universities - so is this an opportunity for further growth?

The model has seen great success in the US, leading to booming commercial ventures such as Dropbox, iRobot, and Boston Dynamics.

And now the UK government has plans for further investment in spin-outs from Oxford and Cambridge.

But what evidence exists that this approach can be as effective in other parts of the world? And as global economies strive for growth, will there be competition for talent and investment?

If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: [email protected]

Presented and produced by Sam Fenwick

(Image: Oxford University in the UK)

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello and welcome to Business Daily from the BBC World Service. I'm Sam Fenwick.
0:05.9	All this week, we're bringing you a special series of programs focusing on startups,
0:10.9	new and emerging companies that are often ambitious to gain investment and grow.
0:16.2	We'll hear the stories of entrepreneurs in India, Argentina, Finland and Armenia.
0:22.2	And we're going to start the series with an idea developed in the US, the businesses or
0:27.6	start-ups that are known as university spin-outs.
0:31.4	We have helped create an innovation ecosystem around MIT that supports our spin-outs, not only on day one, but as they're
0:39.8	growing, 10 people, 50 people, hopefully 100 people to really build these huge businesses.
0:45.9	These startup ventures contribute billions of dollars to the US economy through job creation,
0:51.3	innovation and by attracting investment. And they've caught the attention of the UK government.
0:57.4	Today I want to talk about economic growth. We investigate how the UK finance minister intends to
1:03.2	supercharge the economy with a bold plan to create the Silicon Valley of Europe. Ending the era of low
1:09.9	expectations, putting Britain on a different path.
1:13.5	But what evidence is there that they can have the same effect in other countries?
1:18.2	We don't have the unicorns, very, very fast-growing and big companies.
1:23.5	That's one of the problems.
1:24.7	From campus to commerce, the spin-out revolution here on Business Daily from the BBC World Service.
1:35.9	Please give a warm welcome to the president and head of mobile experience, T.M. Roe.
1:48.7	Samsung's launch of its new smartphone, the Galaxy S25.
1:55.3	The launch took place in San Jose, California at the end of January.
1:59.9	The event was live streamed globally,
2:02.1	allowing fans from all over the world to join in the excitement.
	...

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