Leeds Uni Grad earns Purple Plaque of recognition for pioneering female entrepreneurs – thetab.com

Report on Innovation and Sustainable Development Goals: The Case of Dr. Amanda MacCannell

Executive Summary

Dr. Amanda MacCannell, a researcher at the University of Leeds, has been recognised with a Women in Innovation Award from Innovate UK for founding Pathways Open, a platform designed to connect bio-tech start-ups with academic experts. This initiative and the associated award serve as a case study in advancing several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in the areas of gender equality, innovation, and strategic partnerships.

• SDG 5: Gender Equality
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

Advancing SDG 5: Gender Equality

The Women in Innovation Award programme is a direct contributor to SDG 5, which aims to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. Dr. MacCannell’s recognition highlights the programme’s success in promoting women’s full and effective participation in the economic and technological sectors.

• Empowerment through Resources: The award provides winners with a £75,000 grant, personalised business coaching, and mentorship, directly supporting female entrepreneurs.
• Enhancing Visibility: By honouring women innovators with public plaques, such as the one installed at the University of Leeds’ Helix building, the programme increases the visibility of female leaders in STEM fields.
• Inspiration and Role-Modelling: Dr. MacCannell noted the award’s potential to “show other women that they too can pursue innovation,” directly addressing the need for role models to encourage female participation in entrepreneurship.

Fostering SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

Dr. MacCannell’s enterprise, Pathways Open, is a significant contributor to the objectives of SDG 9, which focuses on building resilient infrastructure, promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and fostering innovation.

1. Building Innovative Infrastructure: Pathways Open is a digital platform that modernises research and development by creating an online space for collaboration between industry start-ups and academic institutions.
2. Upgrading Technological Capabilities: The platform utilises a proprietary AI tool, developed with the grant funding, to facilitate efficient and non-biased matching of academic collaborators for bio-tech companies.
3. Supporting Scientific Research: By streamlining access to academic expertise, the initiative spurs innovation and accelerates the research and development cycle for emerging bio-tech enterprises.

Exemplifying SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

The success of this initiative is founded on a multi-stakeholder collaboration, reflecting the principles of SDG 17, which encourages partnerships between governments, the private sector, and civil society.

• Public-Private-Academic Collaboration: The model involves a government-backed agency (Innovate UK), a leading academic institution (University of Leeds), and a private enterprise (Pathways Open).
• Key Stakeholders:
  • Innovate UK: Provided the framework, funding, and support through the Women in Innovation programme.
  • University of Leeds: Offered the foundational research environment, educational support through its PhD programme, and business start-up services.
  • RTC North: Contributed specialised guidance as an Innovation and Growth Specialist organisation.
• Shared Objective: These partners collaborated to foster an environment where academic research can be translated into commercial innovation, driving economic growth and technological advancement.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. SDGs Addressed or Connected

   • SDG 5: Gender Equality – The article’s central theme is the “Women in Innovation Award,” which directly addresses the empowerment and recognition of women in a field where they may be underrepresented. Dr. MacCannell’s story serves as an inspiration for other women, as she states, “hopefully it will show other women that they too can pursue innovation.” The program is described as a “powerful catalyst for change” for women entrepreneurs.
   • SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure – The article focuses on innovation, research, and technology. Dr. MacCannell’s company, Pathways Open, “supports bio-tech start ups with academic experts to spur innovation and modernise research.” The use of an AI tool for finding collaborators and the £75,000 grant for prototyping it are clear examples of fostering innovation.
   • SDG 4: Quality Education – The role of higher education is prominent. The University of Leeds is the setting for the award and where Dr. MacCannell conducted her research. Her PhD journey is highlighted as the period where she learned essential skills for entrepreneurship: “Through her PhD, Amanda learned to solve problems creatively, put action into her plans, and deal with people and budgets.”
   • SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being – There is a strong connection to the health sector. Dr. MacCannell is a researcher in the Faculty of Medicine and Health, her PhD was funded by the British Heart Foundation, and her start-up supports the bio-tech industry, which is integral to medical and health advancements.

2. Specific Targets Identified

   • Target 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership in political, economic and public life. The “Women in Innovation Award” program is a direct effort to promote and ensure women’s participation and leadership in the economic and innovation sectors. Dr. MacCannell’s success as a co-founder and award winner exemplifies this target.
   • Target 9.5: Enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors… encouraging innovation and substantially increasing the number of research and development workers. The article details how Pathways Open modernizes research and supports bio-tech start-ups. The grant from Innovate UK is a direct investment in enhancing scientific research and technological capabilities.
   • Target 4.4: By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship. Dr. MacCannell’s experience shows how her PhD at the University of Leeds provided her with the necessary skills to become an entrepreneur, directly aligning with this target. The university’s “Business Start-Up Service” further supports this goal.
   • Target 3.b: Support the research and development of vaccines and medicines… The article connects to this target through its focus on supporting “bio-tech start ups” and Dr. MacCannell’s background in the Faculty of Medicine and Health and her PhD funded by the British Heart Foundation, all of which contribute to the ecosystem of health-related research and development.

3. Indicators Mentioned or Implied

   • Implicit Indicator for Target 5.5: The number of women receiving “Women in Innovation” awards. The article focuses on one winner, but the existence of the award itself serves as a metric for tracking the recognition of women leaders in innovation. Dr. MacCannell’s statement about inspiring other women implies a goal of increasing the proportion of women entrepreneurs.
   • Indicator for Target 9.5: Research and development expenditure. The article explicitly mentions the “£75,000 grant” awarded to Dr. MacCannell to prototype her AI tool. This is a direct monetary indicator of investment in R&D. The number of start-ups supported by Pathways Open could be another implied indicator.
   • Implicit Indicator for Target 4.4: The number of graduates who become entrepreneurs. Dr. MacCannell’s journey from a PhD student to a co-founder of a business, supported by university services, is a case study. The existence of a “Head of Business Start-Up Service” at the university implies that this is a metric the institution values and likely tracks.
   • Implicit Indicator for Target 3.b: Investment in health-related research. The funding of a PhD by the British Heart Foundation is a specific instance of financial support for health research. The number of bio-tech start-ups being supported is another measure of progress in this area.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Summary

Source: thetab.com