LIF (Leaders in Innovation Fellowships) Global is a flagship entry-point program that supports entrepreneurs with a technology prototype to create an entrepreneurial mindset. LIF nurtures bold, scalable innovations from all areas of engineering and technology that are addressing some of the world’s most complex environmental, economic, and societal challenges.
The LIF Global program provides innovators with opportunities to:
Identify business and personal development needs
Develop key technical areas with support from a mentor
Develop pitching skills with an opportunity to pitch in London
Develop, scale and fund your start-up
Build partnerships and networks in the UK, in country and internationally
Make sustainability an integral part of your business plan
Eligibility
Open to citizens/residents of Brazil, Colombia, India, Malaysia, Mexico, the Philippines, South Africa, Thailand*, and Vietnam.
*Thai candidates follow a separate selection process with the Programme Management Unit for Competitiveness (PMUC). If you have not been invited by PMUC to apply to Stage 1 and 2, please do not proceed with your application.
The innovation must be at technology readiness level 4 or above, and evidence of a prototype should be provided in the application.
The applicant’s innovation can be any new product, technology or service, based on research in engineering defined in its broadest sense to encompass a wide range of fields, including, but not limited to:
Agricultural technology
Biotechnology
Chemical engineering
Civil engineering
Computer science
Design Engineering
Electrical and electronic engineering
Materials science
Mechanical engineering
Medical engineering
Candidates must be the original innovator and own shares in the company created.
Innovation should have the potential to benefit the applicant’s country, or other developing countries, in terms of improving social welfare and driving economic development, and they should contribute one or more of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Applicants must be able to commit to LIF Global for a minimum of 4 hours during onboarding (week of 9 December), and at least 20 days for training and mentoring between January and July 2025, including 4 days (travel excluded) of in-person training in their country and 14 days for the UK Residential in July 2025. This implies being able to secure permission from all relevant employers to attend the program if selected. The Academy will provide documentation on LIF counting as training or continuous personal development if required once you have joined the cohort.
Applicants must be able to commit to travel internationally. All costs associated with the LIF Global program will be paid for by the Royal Academy of Engineering, with the exception of visas and travel insurance. Participants will be asked to purchase a travel insurance covering COVID-19 testing and quarantine costs. The Academy will consider covering the costs of any caring needs related to travel on a case-by-case basis.
Applicants must have a strong interest in commercialization. Though the previous experience of commercialization or involvement with technology transfer is not required, this criterion is essential to successfully completing the program, and will be a key assessment metric.
Women are encouraged to apply.
Benefits
The program offers:
Expert mentoring and training
Events in your country and in the UK
Ongoing support at the home institution
Access to an international network of peers, innovators and mentors
