The Innovation and Technology Transfer (ITT) Unit is the University’s central hub for turning ideas into impact. By bridging research, creativity, and market opportunity, the ITT Unit actively supports three interconnected missions:
Promoting Innovation and Commercialisation
Fostering entrepreneurship and ensuring that academic research contributes tangible, real-world value beyond the laboratory or classroom.
Facilitating Technology Transfer
Developing new technologies and creating effective pathways to transfer them to industry, solving real-world challenges.
Supporting Startups and Scale-ups
Providing founders with the tools, mentorship, and infrastructure needed to thrive, fuelling regional development and national economic growth.
Turning Research into Impact
The Innovation Ecosystem
Whether you are a student with a first spark of an idea, a researcher with a breakthrough discovery, or a founder ready to scale, the ITT Unit provides a seamless pathway from inspiration to impact. Our four interconnected components ensure you find the right mix of creative space, technical tools, intellectual property guidance, mentorship, and business support at every stage.
Idea Generator (i-GYM)
i-GYM is more than a launchpad; it is a culture builder. Designed to spark and sustain entrepreneurial thinking across the University community, i-GYM normalises innovation as a way of working and encourages entrepreneurship as a viable career path. It serves as a dynamic platform to identify, connect, and nurture aspiring founders, offering hands-on access to the CUT Makerspace for rapid prototyping and experimentation.
Technology Transfer Office (TTO)
The TTO ensures that valuable intellectual property (IP) arising from research and development does not stay on the "shelf". It guides researchers through the process of identifying, protecting, and commercialising innovations, while providing structured incubation support for early-stage ventures.
CUT Makerspace powered by FabLab
This is where ideas become tangible. Open to students, staff, and the wider community, it offers accessible prototyping services, including digital design, 3D printing, laser cutting, and electronics fabrication. Beyond technical capability, the space cultivates critical 21st-century skills: resilience in the face of failure, creative problem-solving, and the confidence to explore new opportunities. It is about making things to make a difference.
Incubation Support
Embedded within the ITT ecosystem, incubation support is tailored for early-stage ventures. Founders receive practical mentorship, workspace, business advisory services, and connections to industry and investment networks, helping them move from concept to viable enterprise with confidence.
Idea Generator (i-GYM)
Technology Transfer Office (TTO)
CUT Makerspace powered by FabLab
Centre for Applied Food Security and –Biotechnology (CAFSaB)
Centre for Quality of Health and Living (CQHL)
Centre for Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturing (CRPM)
Product Development Technology Station (PDTS)
Centre for Sustainable Smart Cities 4.0
Research Centre on Human-Technology Interaction (HTi)
Unit for Lean Construction and Sustainability (ULCS)
Unit for Sustainable Water and Environment (USWE)
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