From Curiosity to Commercialisation
BI Foresight
A digital publication by Bristol Innovations about the business of innovation
Shaping the future means looking beyond the headline breakthroughs to the systems that turn ideas into impact.
Whether it’s quantum jobs, robotics innovation, or deep tech commercialisation, the common thread is clear: technology will only scale if we build the right bridges between research, skills, and business.
From bass lines to qubits: what the quantum job market can learn from a musician
Former bassist turned quantum evangelist Christopher Bishop argues that curiosity and adaptability may be more valuable than credentials in the quantum economy.
With demand for up to 840,000 quantum-literate workers by 2035, the sector is moving beyond physicists to embrace coders, UX designers, marketers, and business developers.
Bishop’s toolkit of Voice, Antenna, Mesh offers a practical framework for thriving in jobs that don’t yet exist – from quantum sensing to AI-quantum integrations. His message is clear: quantum doesn’t just need evangelists, it needs translators.
Soft robots, hard truths: Can the UK deliver on its robotics vision?
The University of Bristol’s octopus-inspired soft robot highlights the UK’s world-class research and the potential for robotics to transform industries from marine conservation to manufacturing.
Momentum is building, with record industrial robot installations and £100m+ channelled into R&D through initiatives like UKRI’s Robots for a Safer World. Yet the next step is about confidence, skills, and collaboration – helping manufacturers, start-ups and researchers turn pioneering prototypes into scalable solutions.
As João Pereira of QNX notes, the UK is on the cusp of a robotics revolution. With investment in talent and stronger industry–academia links, those world-first breakthroughs can move rapidly from lab to market.
What the UK can learn from SPIN: Rise
Europe’s new SPIN: Rise programme takes a structured approach to turning lab breakthroughs into ventures, offering researchers nine weeks of mentoring, IP support, and commercial training. It’s a direct attempt to close the “lab-to-market” gap identified in the Draghi report.
For the UK, with its strong deep tech hubs in Bristol, Oxford, Cambridge and beyond, the lesson is clear: success in sovereign technologies won’t come from research alone, but from building frameworks that blend entrepreneurial skills, industry integration, and capital. Commercialisation is about people, process and partnerships – not just funding.
Closing thought
Across quantum, robotics and deep tech, the UK’s strength is not just in invention but in its ability to connect discovery with delivery.
Quantum reminds us that diverse skills matter, robotics shows how confidence and collaboration can unlock scale, and SPIN: Rise offers a model for structured commercialisation.
The opportunity now is to join these dots – talent, innovation, and partnerships – and in doing so, position the UK at the forefront of the intelligent age.
