LIF Global – Technology Commercialisation with the United Kingdom

Giới thiệu


LIF Global (Leaders in Innovation Fellowships) is a global incubation and acceleration programme for technology commercialisation delivered by the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng). Since 2025, KisStartup has served as the National Partner in Vietnam, working alongside RAEng to recruit, train, and connect Vietnamese scientists, inventors, and innovators with the UK and international innovation ecosystems. The programme is open for applications annually and is designed for individuals or teams who own technologies or research outcomes with strong application potential and who wish to bring their solutions to market in a structured, sustainable, and impact-driven way.

LIF Global supports scientists, innovators, and technology entrepreneurs in emerging economies to commercialise research outcomes and transform technical innovations into viable ventures.

Programme Objectives
LIF Global aims to:

  • Enable scientists and innovators to turn inventions and technical solutions into sustainable enterprises with positive economic, social, and environmental impact

  • Build business, entrepreneurial, fundraising, and leadership capabilities for individuals with strong technical or research backgrounds

  • Strengthen international connections between researchers, experts, investors, and businesses in the UK and emerging economies

Who Should Apply

The programme is designed for:

  • Researchers and technology entrepreneurs with innovations that have reached at least prototype level and show clear commercialisation potential

  • Innovators from science, engineering, and technology fields whose solutions address economic, environmental, or societal challenges

Core Programme Activities

Participants in LIF Global benefit from:

  • Intensive training (online and in-person in Vietnam and the UK) covering business models, market development, pitching skills, and investor readiness

  • One-to-one mentoring with international experts to refine commercialisation strategies and enterprise development plans

  • Network expansion with startup ecosystems, investment funds, corporations, universities, and research institutions in Vietnam and globally

Why LIF Global Matters for Vietnam’s Innovation Ecosystem

Through more than a decade of working with startups, universities, and enterprises, KisStartup has observed a recurring gap:
many high-quality technologies fail to reach the market—not due to weak research, but because of limited commercialisation direction, insufficient business thinking, weak industry linkages, and a lack of international market exposure.

LIF Global is designed to address this gap directly.
Rather than focusing solely on knowledge transfer, the programme supports innovators in shifting roles: from researcher → solution developer → technology-based business builder.

LIF Global in Vietnam – KisStartup’s Role
As the National Partner, KisStartup is responsible for:

  • Programme communication, application intake, and national pre-selection

  • Designing and delivering in-country training, mentoring, and ecosystem-building activities

  • Connecting innovators with enterprises, experts, investors, and relevant ecosystems

  • Providing post-programme support, helping projects continue to refine business models, access markets, and pursue international collaboration

KisStartup’s approach internationalises mindset while localising solutions, ensuring that UK-based methodologies can be applied effectively within the Vietnamese context.

LIF Global 2025 in Vietnam – A Meaningful Learning and Connection Journey
What Do You Gain from LIF Global?
LIF Global is structured as a comprehensive technology commercialisation journey, combining training, mentoring, international exposure, and long-term network building.
Participants benefit from:

  • In-depth mentoring and expert guidance: Innovators work directly with experienced mentors in technology commercialisation, entrepreneurship, and investment. Mentoring goes beyond ideas, focusing on business models, market strategies, and long-term growth pathways.

  • Activities in Vietnam and the United Kingdom: The programme integrates training, pitching, and ecosystem engagement in Vietnam with a residential experience in the UK, offering direct access to one of the world’s most advanced innovation ecosystems.

  • Ongoing support in the home institution: After intensive phases, innovators continue to receive support from mentors, programme partners, and local ecosystems to sustain momentum and implement solutions in real-world conditions.

  • Access to a global network: Participants join the LIF Global community of over 1,500 alumni worldwide, including scientists, tech entrepreneurs, investors, and policy experts—an invaluable resource for long-term collaboration and expansion.

  • Skills development and opportunity creation: Beyond business skills, LIF Global opens pathways for research–industry collaboration, fundraising, and partnerships aligned with each project’s strategic direction.

Business and Personal Development Journey

LIF Global views commercialisation as a learning and growth process, supporting innovators as they transition from research-driven roles to technology venture creators.

Throughout the programme, participants have opportunities to:

  • Identify business and personal development needs

  • Strengthen key technical and commercial areas with mentor support

  • Develop pitching skills and pitch directly in London

  • Develop, scale, and fund technology-based startups

  • Build partnerships and networks in the UK, Vietnam, and internationally

  • Integrate sustainability as a core element of the business model, not merely an external commitment

Technology Areas Supported
LIF Global welcomes innovators across a wide range of technical and engineering fields, including:

  • Agricultural Technology

  • Biotechnology

  • Chemical Engineering

  • Civil Engineering

  • Computer Science and Data Technologies

  • Design Engineering

  • Electrical and Electronic Engineering

  • Materials Science

  • Mechanical Engineering

  • Medical and Biomedical Engineering

LIF Global 2026 Programme Timeline

LIF Global 2026 runs over several months, combining remote learning, in-country activities, and a UK residential phase:

  • December 2025: Remote onboarding week

  • December 2025 – January 2026: Individual diagnostics, induction, and guided self-learning

  • December 2025 – June 2026: Remote training

  • January – March 2026: In-country training and activities in Vietnam

  • February – June 2026: One-to-one remote mentoring

  • June – July 2026: UK residential programme

  • LIF Global is open for applications every year.

If you are a scientist, academic, inventor, or technology team seeking a structured pathway to bring your innovation to the international market, KisStartup is ready to accompany you on the LIF Global journey in Vietnam.

Impact of LIF Global 2025 in Vietnam

LIF Global 2025 in Vietnam was successfully delivered, offering a deep learning, experiential, and connection-driven journey for selected innovators.
Over four intensive working days, participants strengthened their technology commercialisation capabilities, gained a deeper understanding of enterprise needs, and received direct feedback from experts and market partners.

Key phases included:

  • Foundation building: Elevator pitches, innovation ecosystem workshops, and pitch-deck mentoring helped innovators reshape their technology narratives through a market lens.

  • Enterprise immersion: Innovators worked directly with businesses on real production and operational challenges. Enterprises presented their needs first (“reverse pitching”), allowing innovators to propose deployable solutions—marking a shift from laboratory ideas to market-ready applications.

  • Business model refinement and pitching: Using frameworks and tools from Oxentia and RAEng, innovators refined business models, practised pitching, and presented projects to enterprises, academics, and students.

  • Evaluation and international connection: The programme concluded with in-depth feedback sessions and international networking, helping innovators identify next steps beyond the programme.

Long-Term Commitment of KisStartup

KisStartup’s partnership with LIF Global is a long-term strategic commitment to advancing the international commercialisation of Vietnamese research and innovation. We commit to:

  • Supporting innovators before, during, and after the programme

  • Assisting with business model development, market entry strategies, and partner connections

  • Building a strong Vietnamese LIF alumni community as part of the national innovation ecosystem

From the founder’s personal experience as a former LIF Fellow to KisStartup’s role as National Partner, we choose to invest in people and commercialisation mindset as the most sustainable pathway for Vietnamese technology and intellectual capital to reach the world.

LIF Global opens for applications annually.
If you are looking to bring your technology to market, connect with KisStartup to join the LIF Global journey in Vietnam.
Programme website: https://raeng.org.uk/lif-global
 Enquiries: hello@kisstartup.com

Từ khóa
Technology
LIF Global Vietnam
commercialization
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