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Translating science into impact: Dr Robert Hyde on entrepreneurship, leadership and learning beyond academia

For Associate Professor Robert Hyde, entrepreneurship has always been closely connected to impact. Through his ÌÇÐÄÔ­´´ spin-out, , co-founded with veterinary colleague Dr Charlie Carslake, he is translating research and technology into practical tools that improve animal welfare and support veterinary care.

Vet Vision AI uses artificial intelligence and machine vision technology to provide continuous monitoring of animal health, behaviour and wellbeing. By helping farmers, veterinarians and animal owners better understand how animals behave, rest and interact with their environment, the technology aims to support not only animal health, but quality of life.

For Bobby, this focus on making lives better for animals has been a major motivation throughout his entrepreneurial journey. Rather than seeing commercialisation as separate from academia, he describes it as an important part of his academic experience. 

Importantly, this has also strengthened his academic career. Demonstrating clear impact through spin-out activity and industry engagement has opened doors to new collaborations, funding opportunities and broader visibility for his work within the university context.

Alongside this, Bobby has become increasingly thoughtful about the transferability of skills between academia and business environments. Many of the strengths developed through academic life such as blue-sky thinking, a willingness to approach hard research questions, and being able to work across disciplines, proved highly valuable within a start-up environment. At the same time, building Vet Vision AI enabled him to develop a completely new set of capabilities that he now brings back into academia, particularly around leadership, people management and commercial thinking.

Rather than viewing academic and entrepreneurial careers as separate tracks, Bobby sees them as highly complementary experiences that can strengthen one another over time. However, he is also honest about the realities of building a business.

The early years of developing Vet Vision AI were demanding, requiring long hours and significant personal commitment while balancing an academic career and a young family. Like many founders, Bobby reflects that the process was exciting and rewarding but also challenging. One of the most important lessons he took from the experience was the value of asking for help.

Bobby says he benefited from strong support networks, including an encouraging line manager, trusted mentors and support from colleagues within the ÌÇÐÄÔ­´´’s technology transfer and innovation teams who he says have been fantastic to work with and instrumental to the success of the spin-out company. Not least, the support of the School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, without which the original research couldn't have taken place, and who have provided incredible support and backing in helping the spin-out company to grow to where it is today. 

For researchers considering entrepreneurship or knowledge exchange activity, Bobby’s experience highlights an important message: engaging with spin-outs or SMEs does not require leaving academic identity behind. Instead, these experiences can broaden skills, deepen impact and open up new ways of thinking about both research and career development.

 

From research to impact: Nottingham’s innovation ecosystem

Bobby's journey is one example of how the ÌÇÐÄÔ­´´ supports researchers in translating discovery into real-world impact. A key part of this innovation ecosystem is  (NTV), the university's wholly owned subsidiary responsible for managing its spin-out portfolio and strategic investments. With more than 40 spin-out companies – 25 of which have launched in the past seven years – our spin-outs are delivering measurable benefits for society, the environment and the economy.

What makes Nottingham distinctive is that all the pillars required to build successful spin-outs sit under one roof. Our research excellence, commercialisation expertise, investor engagement, and long-term business support are fully integrated. This connectivity enables innovators to move more seamlessly from discovery to real-world impact, backed by the full strength of the university and its knowledge exchange professionals.