Michael Sars Centre researcher awarded UiB Idé innovation grant

Launched in 2021 by the Division of Research and Innovation at the University of Bergen, the UiB Idé program provides mentorship and funding to help researchers and students pursue high-potential ideas. Among the applicants was Guillaume Poncelet, who set out to develop a product derived from naturally occurring compounds he identified in the laboratory. His project was recently awarded a UiB Tidlig Idé (Early Idea) innovation grant to support the creation of a prototype. “I am thrilled and grateful!”, Poncelet said. “This backing from UiB and the Michael Sars Centre to turn a blue-biotech idea into a concrete, testable project is incredibly motivating. It’s a real opportunity to move discovery from the lab to the real world.”

"A real opportunity to move discovery from the lab to the real world" - Guillaume Poncelet

For Michael Sars Centre Director Lionel Christiaen, innovation is an essential outcome of science - on par with education and knowledge dissemination. He is wholeheartedly supporting the project, and Poncelet will conduct experimental work in the group’s facilities. “While our core mission centers on fundamental research and training, we ought to help foster innovation when the opportunity arises”, Christiaen explained. “This is why I am very enthusiastic about Guillaume’s drive to pursue his innovative interests at the Centre and in close collaboration with other departments at UiB. I look forward to seeing this initiative develop.”

In addition to the UiB Idé grant, Poncelet was also selected to be a part of this year’s TILT cohort, a mentorship program for aspiring academic entrepreneurs led by the technology transfer organization VIS. With support from this network, UiB Idé and the Michael Sars Centre, he hopes to turn his vision into a successful startup.