ICURe Explore content redesign

Programme: ICURe, funded by Innovate UK

ICURe sends university research teams out into the world to find out whether their technology has a market. The keystone phase, ICURe Explore, funds around three months of full-time international market exploration for post-doctoral researchers. It opens with a three day intensive boot camp.

The challenge

The original boot camp taught commercialisation using Silicon Valley startups and large corporate case studies. ICURe teams’ focus is on deep tech, patented IP, spinouts and licences into complex B2B supply chains. SETsquared Southampton asked edio to rebuild the week from the ground up to match the content to this focus.

ICURe Entrepreneurial Lead Eva Bestelink carrying out market discovery at Computex Taipei. Credit: Radu Sporea.

The project

We started with a needs workshop in Bristol, then interviewed ICURe alumni. Their companies became the spine of the course content. Every generic example was replaced with an original filmed case study of a real ICURe spinout, and the content sequenced so teams work through the decision points those founders actually faced.

Every generic example replaced with a real ICURe spinout.

The outcome

The design underneath is deliberate. Learning outcomes map to effectuation theory and the EU Entrepreneurial Competencies framework (EntreComp) calibrated so Explore follows on structurally from the preceding Discover programme and hands-off to the Exploit phase. All content is now original, with copyright held by ICURe.

The rebuilt boot camp piloted in September 2025. By July 2026 it had run three times, supporting over 40 commercialisation projects. Positive feedback centres on deeper confidence. Teams report they recognise their own journey in the case studies. edio continues to deliver the programme and build new content across all the programme.