Imperial to strengthen Transatlantic tech cooperation with new hub

Imperial College London has announced its first physical presence in the US, with a new hub located in San Francisco.

The new San Francisco hub will be launched in October to bring Imperial’s world leading science and tech research closer to the centre of global venture capital.

Imperial’s presence in the Bay Area is part of the Imperial Global strategy which has seen a hub open in Singapore, and new hubs planned in Ghana and India.

The San Francisco hub will officially launch at Imperial’s first major Silicon Valley symposium this Autumn focussing on how the application of emerging technologies can be a force for good in the world.

"The San Francisco Hub will bring even more of Imperial’s work to Silicon Valley and more of Silicon Valley to our work – ultimately accelerating advances in science and technology to tackle global grand challenges." Professor Hugh Brady President of Imperial College London

Recently ranked 2nd in the world in the QS World University Rankings, Imperial has long standing connections with California, enabling talent in London and the US to collaborate and improve their networks.

Academics from Imperial, Stanford and UCSF are working to develop and translate radical technologies in AI-enabled healthcare and science. Engineers from Imperial and UC Berkeley are co-developing innovative and sustainable ways to provide the materials the world needs for the energy transition.

The new hub will make it even easier for innovators partnering on both sides of the Atlantic to fund and scale their research and maximise Imperial’s potential as a force for good in the world.

Imperial is a champion of deep tech entrepreneurship based on a bedrock of world-leading convergence science and technological innovation in London. Staff and students have leveraged this research to create start-ups in Quantum (PsiQuantum), Clean Tech (Ceres Power), AI (Magic Pony Technology), Battery tech (Nexeon) and renewable materials (Notpla). By launching a hub in San Francisco, Imperial will increase the opportunities for their spinouts and accelerate their success.

There will also be opportunities for further student exchanges between California and London as part of Imperial’s San Francisco growth. For students with global ambitions, the creation of the new hub - alongside new hubs in Singapore, Ghana and India, will mean more opportunities to partner and exchange ideas on the world stage.

Professor Hugh Brady, President of Imperial College London, said: “Imperial’s San Francisco Hub will connect two of the world’s most vibrant innovation ecosystems - showcasing Imperial’s education portfolio to new audiences, strengthening our academic and industry partnerships, engaging our fantastic alumni, encouraging exchange of top talent and linking our founders to new sources of venture capital.

"The Hub will bring even more of Imperial’s work to Silicon Valley and more of Silicon Valley to our work – ultimately accelerating advances in science and technology to tackle global grand challenges."

Imperial will launch the hub at Imperial’s first major Silicon Valley symposium at Intrinsic. The event will explore how the application of emerging technologies such as robotics and AI and how academia and venture capital can work together to increase their impact on key sectors including heath, climate and advanced manufacturing. The event will be hosted by Intrinsic CEO, Wendy-Tan White and Imperial’s Professor Brady.

International collaboration

Science Minister, Lord Vallance, said: "Science and technology is at its best when it is open and international, and it is excellent to see one of the UK’s leading universities taking their brilliant research across the globe, enabling exchanges in talent, ideas and infrastructure.

"This is also a great example of how pairing the UK’s genuinely world-class university research sector with innovators, investors and entrepreneurs abroad will help turn cutting-edge research into innovative new businesses, and drive economic growth for the UK, the US and the world."

"Science and technology is at its best when it is open and international, and it is excellent to see one of the UK’s leading universities taking their brilliant research across the globe, enabling exchanges in talent, ideas and infrastructure." Lord Vallance UK Science Minister

Matt Clifford, Co-founder Entrepreneur First and ARIA Chair said: "By bringing the world leading innovation and research from Imperial closer to the tech and venture ecosystem in San Francisco, they will strengthen ties between academics, founders and funders.

"Entrepreneur First also opened a permanent presence in San Francisco earlier this year and Imperial will be a welcome addition to the incredible Bay area energy."

Dom Hallas, Executive Director Start up Coalition: "If UK universities are going to help build globally significant spinouts, it will mean understanding what it means to build world leading businesses. That’s why this boots on the ground support matters to help connect Britain’s best innovators with US networks."

Professor Mary Ryan, Imperial's Vice Provost for Research and Enterprise and the Armourers and Brasiers' Chair for Materials Science, said: "Imperial has a long history of pioneering interdisciplinary research in new fields, and partnerships are critical to making new discoveries and delivering impact.

"Our first permanent US hub coupled with new Schools of Convergence Science will enable us to do even more to encourage that sharing of ideas with colleagues and friends old and new - from expanded doctoral training exchanges to develop talent, to new joint research partnerships, and to supporting our deep-tech entrepreneurs."