Trade bodies PraxisUnico and Auril have combined in a bid to improve their policy responses, support materials and events.
PraxisUnico, a UK-based professional association for public sector tech transfer staff, has merged with Auril, a professional association of tech transfer staff in the UK and Ireland.
The combined entity, PraxisAuril, will represent more than 5,000 university business collaboration and commercialisation staff, who work at more than 200 universities and other stakeholder organisations.
The move follows a consultation chaired by David Bembo, director of research and innovation services at Cardiff University, who considered whether the merger would enhance the pair’s policy responses, support materials and events.
PraxisUnico was itself the result of a tie-up in 2009 between training provider Praxis and PSRE organisations membership entity Unico.
The executive director of PraxisUnico, Maxine Ficarra, has been appointed CEO of PraxisAuril. She said: “The creation of PraxisAuril is a powerful step forward for university-business collaboration in the UK.
“We aim to ensure that our members are recognised as the most effective, well-informed and well-connected expert practitioners in knowledge exchange and commercialisation (KEC), anywhere in the world – and we are actively encouraging businesses, policymakers, funders and partner organisations to connect.”
Alasdair Cameron, who was executive director at Auril and will serve as director of strategic engagement for PraxisAuril, added: “For a number of years Auril and PraxisUnico have been working closely together to champion the KEC communities in the UK.
“I am delighted that both organisations have now agreed to formalise this relationship with the creation of PraxisAuril.”
