Case Study: Building A Social Science Innovation Office at LSE

In July 2018, the London School of Economics (LSE) embarked on a transformative journey to unlock the commercial potential of its world-leading social science research. This ambition was catalysed by a successful bid for the Research England Connecting Capability Fund grant (Aspect), which provided the resources and impetus to establish a dedicated innovation office. To realise this vision, LSE partnered with Oxentia, utilising our expertise in technology transfer and SHAPE commercialisation.

Challenge

LSE’s challenge was both exciting and complex: to create an innovation office tailored specifically for the social sciences—a field where commercialisation pathways are often less defined than in STEM disciplines. The goal was to build an infrastructure that could translate academic insights into real-world products and services, amplifying the societal impact of LSE’s research.

Approach

Oxentia’s engagement began with a comprehensive review of LSE’s existing ecosystem, policies, and procedures. Working closely with senior stakeholders, Oxentia mapped out the unique needs and opportunities within the School. This collaborative process led to the design of a bespoke model for research commercialisation, one that aligned with LSE’s institutional mission and the distinctive character of its research community.

Implementation was hands-on and holistic. Oxentia not only developed new processes and procedures but also led their integration within the School. The team took responsibility for nurturing a culture of innovation, actively promoting commercialisation opportunities among academics, students, and alumni. This included managing a pipeline of potential projects, delivering tailored training sessions, and co-creating the LSE Lean Social Science Launchpad—a programme designed to equip participants with the skills and confidence to bring their ideas to market.

Impact

The results were transformative. With Oxentia’s guidance, LSE established a fully functioning innovation office dedicated to supporting innovation and commercialisation in the social sciences.
Professor Julia Black, Strategic Director of Innovation at LSE, said:
“We have worked closely and extensively with Oxentia over the last two years to set in place the infrastructure we need to meet our ambition to commercialise social sciences research insights successfully for the betterment of society.
From a standing start, they have guided and supported us to develop our in-house commercialisation team at LSE, and to develop Aspect, an innovative collaboration between seven universities to promote social sciences research commercialisation.  In both initiatives, their expert guidance, dedicated teams and superb project management have been invaluable.”

This new capability has positioned LSE to extend its leadership in academic research into the realm of societal impact, enabling the translation of research into tangible benefits for communities and industries alike.
Oxentia’s support was instrumental in several key areas:

• Developing a new intellectual property (IP) policy tailored to LSE’s needs.
• Recruiting and upskilling personnel for the Innovation Office.
• Managing the transition of the commercialisation project pipeline to the new in-house team.
• Playing a central role in the development and delivery of Aspect’s SUCCESS programme—a pilot accelerator for academic entrepreneurs in the social sciences—and subsequently, the ARC (Aspect Research Commercialisation) Accelerator.

To learn more about our Technology Transfer and Knowledge Exchange services click here, to learn about our work with ASPECT click here.