Our Enterprise Executives: Dominic Gammon
As an entrepreneur and investor, Dominic Gammon brings first-hand experience of the journey from early-stage idea to commercial enterprise to their role supporting academics and research teams at Heriot-Watt. Working across customer discovery, market validation and investment readiness, Dominic helps researchers explore whether their ideas can solve real-world problems and create value beyond academia. Here Dominic shares what the commercialisation journey can unlock for academics and why the best place to start is simply being willing to explore what your research could become.
Q: Describe your role at Heriot-Watt
A: I support academics and research teams at Heriot-Watt to translate their ideas into commercial opportunities. I focus on supporting customer discovery, market validation, investment readiness and shaping strong commercial strategies, so that by the time a project reaches spinout stage, it’s grounded in real market demand rather than technical novelty alone.
My own background as an Entrepreneur and Investor enables me to understand what it takes to go from idea to commercial enterprise, so I often get on a level with those I help to ensure they don’t make the same mistakes I did.
Q: What does the journey from an early-stage idea to a viable product, service or spinout typically look like at Heriot-Watt?
A: It usually starts with exploration—often through programmes run by us across our Global Research Innovation and Discovery ecosystem (or GRID as we call it for short) or external programmes like Converge and ICURe . The aim of both of these programmes is to support academic colleagues to step outside of the lab and to test whether their idea solves a meaningful problem for a clearly defined customer. This could be desktop work or reaching out to industry. This customer discovery phase is critical and often challenges initial assumptions.
From there, promising opportunities move into more structured support, such as Scottish Enterprise's High Growth Spinout Programme, where the focus shifts to building a scalable business: refining the value proposition, developing a route to market, selecting the right business model and assembling the right team to shift to a more full-time focus.
Alongside this, proof-of-concept funding and pilot project funding is sought to help de-risk the technology and demonstrate real-world applicability. By the time a spinout is formed, the strongest opportunities have clear customer validation, a credible business model, and early traction with partners or investors.
Q: What impact can the commercialisation journey have for academics and innovators at Heriot-Watt?
A: The biggest shift is moving from research-led thinking to commercial-led thinking. Through the various grants and programmes available, academics gain direct exposure to customers and markets, which often reshapes how they see their own work.
This can lead to much stronger research-industry connections, new funding opportunities, and, in some cases, the creation of high-growth companies. It also builds valuable skills; particularly around communication, entrepreneurship, and strategic decision-making. These are vital skills required to lead or join a spinout company.
Ultimately, it allows academics to see their work translated into tangible outcomes—whether that’s a product in the market, a deployed technology, or a venture creating jobs and investment.
Q: What can academics do to start them on the commercialisation journey?
A: A good starting point is to engage with programmes run by GRID which are designed for a range of appetite, whether it’s dipping the toe in or diving headfirst. It goes without saying that the internet is awash with materials that academics can view and learn from even before they want to engage with us.
Use all the tools available to you. The University environment gives you a unique and almost unfair advantage! You never know whether the person you just walked past in the corridor is already on their own commercialisation journey, or looking to join an aspiring team themselves.
It’s also important to engage with the university’s commercialisation team early, to help navigate funding, protect IP, and map out next steps. You don’t need a fully formed business idea, just a willingness to explore whether your research could solve a real-world problem and create value beyond academia.