LIF

LIF provides engineering and technology innovators with access to experienced mentors, an international network of peers, and high-quality skills training focused on commercialisation and maximising their technology’s impact on society.

The LIF programmes provide training for entrepreneurs to grow business skills and networks to develop, scale and fund their startup.

What we do

The Royal Academy of Engineering’s Leaders in Innovation Fellowships (LIF) programme supports talented entrepreneurs from around the globe to turn their engineering innovations into impactful, sustainable businesses.

We nurture bold, scalable innovations from all areas of engineering and technology that are addressing some of the world’s most complex environmental, economic, and societal challenges.

Our USP

Our personalised approach focuses on acquiring foundational entrepreneurship skills. These then lead to accelerated commercial growth, job creation, and investment in the businesses our programme supports.

Our entrepreneurs benefit from the Academy’s unique, prestigious network, which brings together expert Academy Fellows, likeminded entrepreneurs, investors, business leaders, researchers, and policymakers.

We empower a worldwide community of more than 1,400 alumni to support each other, and curate a programme of networking events, pitch opportunities and ongoing entrepreneurship training.

We don’t take equity, fees or IP.

Our offer

Smart, flexible training, designed around the needs of our innovators
Tailored mentoring from highly accomplished entrepreneurs and business leaders
A network of peers in the UK and internationally
Ongoing support from the Academy’s global network and unique convening power

The LIF entrepreneurship journey

LIF Programme

LIF Global

Training, mentoring, and networking on-line and in-person.

LIF Community

Alumni peer support network with training events and more

Advance

Accelerate, scale-up, and grow your business.

"LIF gives you a lot of information that allows you to develop in the business world that, as a scientist, I didn't have before. What we as entrepreneurial scientists need is this type of training, where you leave aside the research, development and laboratory part, and focus on what the client needs, on what the client wants to know about you "

Laura Sierra, LIF Global 2022, Colombia

Joining the LIF Programme will give you access to a good network in the UK to help expand your business. LIF Programme puts structure in your innovation and gives the foundation to turn it into a business.

Alexandru Topor, LIF Global 2022, Romania

LIF is very useful: academic knowledge with real scenario mentoring. The program helped me a lot in starting my business in Vietnam - I won a lot of national and international competitions thanks to the skills I learnt through the LIF program

Mr. Tran Chi Thanh - Screening and controlling CRE, superbugs – Vietnam

“LIF5 allowed me, as a scientist, to understand what is a market, how to find and quantify the real value of my discoveries and what I need to start the process of creating a spin-out. Today I am not only working on the idea that led me to the LIF programme, I am, together with three graduate students, working on two new ventures.”

Cesar A Sierra, Colombia

Are you an entrepreneur based in the UK?

Our Enterprise hub works with a range of engineering and technology entrepreneurs to help them startup, spinout and scale-up. All our programmes are offered free of charge and we take zero equity.

Funding for UK based innovators

Leaders in Innovation Fellowships

Are you LIF alumni?

2025 Programmes