Special Interest Group
Recruiting Commercialisation Talent
Recruiting and retaining talented commercialisation professionals is essential to the success of Technology Transfer Offices (TTOs) and the wider knowledge exchange sector. However, finding people with the right combination of technical knowledge, commercial awareness and relationship-building skills remains a significant challenge.
The Recruiting Commercialisation Talent Special Interest Group (SIG) brings professionals together to share experiences, examine recruitment and career-development challenges, and identify practical ways to attract, develop and retain a skilled and diverse commercialisation workforce. By addressing these challenges collectively, the group will help institutions strengthen their teams and deliver their wider knowledge exchange objectives.
Areas of focus
The group will explore topics including:
- Defining the technical and interpersonal skills required for commercialisation roles
- Aligning recruitment plans with organisational commercialisation strategies
- Raising awareness of TTO roles and career opportunities
- Competing with salaries and opportunities available in industry
- Developing clearer career pathways for commercialisation professionals
- Attracting talent from a broader range of backgrounds
- Improving diversity and inclusion within TTO teams
- Supporting skills development and career progression across knowledge exchange
What the SIG aims to achieve
The SIG’s initial objective is to help TTOs improve the recruitment of high-quality commercialisation professionals. By bringing together knowledge and experience from across the community, the group will seek to:
- Share effective recruitment approaches and lessons learned
- Identify common barriers affecting recruitment and retention
- Explore tools, systems and processes that could support TTO managers
- Encourage greater consistency in skills and career development
- Generate ideas for future resources and training
- Contribute to wider sector discussions about the commercialisation profession
Who should join?
The SIG will be particularly valuable for:
- TTO leaders and managers responsible for recruitment
- Professionals involved in recruiting or developing commercialisation teams
- HR and talent professionals supporting knowledge exchange functions
- Commercialisation practitioners interested in developing their careers
- Individuals working to improve skills, diversity and workforce development across knowledge exchange
Whether you have experience to share or want to learn from others, the group offers an opportunity to contribute to a stronger and more sustainable commercialisation workforce.
Upcoming Meetings
Meet the SIG Lead
Tas Gohir
Senior IP and Commercial Research Manager,
Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust
Tas has more than 20 years of knowledge exchange experience across universities, the NHS and industry. He has recently undertaken research into the challenges TTO managers face when recruiting for commercialisation roles.
The findings were presented at the Knowledge Exchange UK Conference 2026 in Newport and identified several areas that would benefit from further discussion and collaboration across the KE community.