Participating Universities
Loughborough University
Loughborough University recognises the power of innovation and entrepreneurship to turn scholarship and research excellence into real-world impact.
The university has been part of the WE Innovate National consortium since 2025 and is [INFO ON THIS YEAR]
A place where ideas take shape, where research becomes reality, and where people are inspired to create better futures – together, Loughborough’s dynamic ecosystem is one that sparks student curiosity, develops world-changing research breakthroughs, and works with graduates, staff and partners to support the global scale of our start-ups.
Our ecosystem is distinctive because it is fully connected, supporting impact at every stage of development. Bringing together student enterprise, commercialisation, business incubation, and a thriving research and innovation community on our Loughborough University Innovation Park, we deliver an integrated model that allows talent, ideas and investment opportunities to circulate seamlessly.
By nurturing new ventures, Loughborough Enterprise Network creates a virtuous cycle: students and graduates gain hands-on experience and opportunities to work on innovative projects, while growing businesses remain connected to the University through colocation, research collaboration and access to specialist expertise.
Our successful alumni support as mentors, advisors and investors to strengthen the pipeline of future LU founders, while recognition of Loughborough as a driver of economic growth serves to demonstrate the wider value of this work in the Midlands and beyond.
Michelle Robinson
Founder, Aretè
Inaugural winner of Loughborough University’s WE Innovate
“Loughborough University’s inaugural WE Innovate programme created a genuinely supportive space in which to learn, explore and develop both my business and my confidence as a founder.
The WE Innovate staff team were instrumental in this. Their person-first approach meant that I felt supported as an individual, while also being encouraged and challenged to strengthen my ideas. The programme gave me foundational business knowledge that now underpins how I am building Aretè. I also learned alongside a supportive cohort of 20 women, benefiting from their varied knowledge, experience and perspectives, particularly considering other sectors’ approaches to challenges and solutions.
Most importantly, WE Innovate changed how I understand and approach both entrepreneurship and my role as a founder. It helped me articulate what Aretè offers, recognise the value of the business and become more confident in my own worth and capabilities as I continue this journey. Winning £5,000 was an important milestone, but this shift in confidence and self-belief has been the programme’s most valuable and lasting impact. For me, that is the real win.”
Regional Partnerships: LUSEP
Loughborough’s innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem continues to support over 700 jobs in and beyond the region. At the apex of our ecosystem is Loughborough University Science and Enterprise Park (LUSEP) – one of the UK’s largest and most dynamic Science and Enterprise Parks.
LUSEP hosts businesses at every stage – from graduate founders developing prototypes to Fortune 500 companies locating their UK technology operations in the region – and is home to more than 90 organisations, including global brands, national governing bodies, high-growth businesses and early-stage ventures.
As part of the Loughborough and Leicester Enterprise Zone, it attracts international investment and supports the region’s ambitions in advanced manufacturing, energy, sport innovation and digital technologies with businesses based on the park employing over 2500 staff.
Regional Partnerships: Forging Ahead
In 2025, Loughborough and 16 partner Universities, working with Midlands Innovation, launched a new 5-year programme backed by Research England’s Connecting Capabilities Fund. Forging Ahead is a bold, £16 million initiative that is set to transform the Midlands into a globally recognised hub for innovation, commercialisation and venture creation.
The programme aims to radically advance the region’s commercialisation ecosystem even further; connecting researchers, entrepreneurs, investors and industry mentors to accelerate the journey from research to real-world impact and is one of the UK’s largest Higher Education collaborations.
Together, Loughborough and its partners are supercharging entrepreneurial activity, creating dynamic new pathways for academic ideas to become high-growth ventures and continuing to support diverse talent to drive inclusive economic growth while ensuring innovation benefits our regional communities.
Regional Partnerships: Loughborough Town Deal
Through partnerships with Charnwood Borough Council and Loughborough College, realised through the town’s high street located Careers & Enterprise Hub, we have joined forces to offer careers, business startup and SME support to businesses and people living, working or studying locally.
This work includes generating regular paid work opportunities through supported businesses (internships, placements and graduate roles) annually – giving students and graduates vital experience and strengthening the local talent pipeline. In 2024/25, businesses supported by the University offered 173 temporary paid work opportunities. Through our Loughborough Town Deal partnership, the University (through our on-campus incubator, LUInc.) continues to work with stakeholders to transform the local innovation landscape with new infrastructure, programming, regeneration and community-focused, technology-enhanced initiatives.
A national network
Explore WE Innovate National's partners, chosen for a combination of proven entrepreneurial infrastructure, research intensity, and geographic reach, ensuring every one of the UK's four nations has a founder-facing hub.
Imperial College London
WE Innovate was launched by Imperial College London in 2014 and has supported over 500 women-led teams since its inception.
Swansea University
A research‑led, world‑class institution committed to developing transformative ideas and supporting entrepreneurial talent.
Durham University
A globally recognised research-intensive institution with a strong commitment to innovation, entrepreneurship, and societal impact.
Loughborough University
A dynamic innovation ecosystem that sparks student curiosity, develops world-changing research breakthroughs, and works with graduates, staff and partners to support start-ups.
Queen's University Belfast
One of the UK’s leading research-intensive institutions, with over 99% of its research environment rated world-leading or internationally excellent.
University of Glasgow
Innovation and entrepreneurship are at the heart of its strategy, translating world-class research into economic and societal impact.
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