Small Conversations to Big Innovations
- 5 days ago
- 2 min read
Turning ideas into innovation by connecting UK SMEs with research expertise
Brunel University of London’s Research, Innovate and Emerge (RIEm) programme is helping innovative UK SMEs turn their ideas into funded projects and real-world impact. Since its launch in 2022, RIEm has supported over 120 businesses, with NCUB’s innovation platform, konfer, connecting Brunel with companies in every cohort.
For many SMEs, turning a promising idea into real-world innovation can be challenging. Accessing the right research expertise, collaborating with academic partners, and shaping ideas into competitive projects requires guidance and connections that growing businesses may not yet have, particularly in fast-moving sectors like health and MedTech.
When Dr Michael Joseph launched RIEm, the aim was clear: help UK SMEs access research expertise, strengthen their projects, and secure funding to bring new technologies to market.
RIEm combines mentoring, collaborative research opportunities, and funding strategy support to guide businesses through project development and connect them with the expertise to grow.
From the very first cohort, the programme turned to konfer to identify innovative companies aligned with Brunel’s research strengths. Konfer enables universities to discover businesses that are innovating or ‘innovation ready’. Many of these connections start as small exploratory conversations, which can grow into funded projects and long-term strategic partnerships.
Every RIEm cohort has included companies discovered through konfer, creating a strong and diverse pipeline of SMEs. By connecting Brunel with businesses across the UK innovation ecosystem, the platform has quietly but crucially supported the programme’s growth.
“One of the key challenges in designing RIEm is reaching businesses with strong innovation potential and a willingness to collaborate. Konfer has helped us identify and connect with the right companies efficiently, building strong cohorts from the very start.” Dr Michael Joseph
Since 2022, RIEm participants have achieved remarkable results: a 73% success rate with Innovate UK (versus a national average of 5–10%), securing £17.82 million in grants and investment, while accelerating product development and market expansion. The programme has helped Brunel University to secure research and innovation funding and establish strategic partnerships with participating businesses.
The programme’s impact has been recognised nationally. The ScaleUp Institute endorses RIEm as a national exemplar for supporting SME growth through research-driven innovation.
For example, digital health company Elaros, connected via konfer, collaborated with Brunel researchers to develop AI tools for detecting Parkinson’s disease. Through RIEm mentoring, research collaboration, and funding guidance, Elaros secured £200,000 from Innovate UK and advanced toward clinical trials and wider adoption.
As RIEm expands, including the launch of RIEm India, Brunel continues to connect research expertise with ambitious businesses. Platforms like konfer help spark the conversations today that can grow into tomorrow’s strategic partnerships, supporting the next generation of SMEs to innovate, scale, and make real-world impact.
Keep an eye on konfer for the next RIEm call from Brunel University coming in September 2026
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