LUMI SIS paves the way for research spin-offs with societal impact

Applying scientific knowledge to benefit vulnerable children, Uni.lu’s pioneering societal impact spin-off Lumi aims to create meaningful change in education and child development.

Pascale Engel de Abreu, Associate Professor of Developmental Psychology at the University of Luxembourg, has always aimed for tangible impact. “As a trained child psychologist, I’m driven by a desire to make meaningful changes in disadvantaged children’s lives.” In 2023, as a result of an FNR JUMP grant, she established Lumi as a Societal Impact Company (“Société d’Impact Societal” – SIS) of public utility, dedicated to leveraging research for children’s learning and development.

“Our research team at Uni.lu studies cognitive development, particularly language acquisition, reading, and socioemotional development. Lumi aims to translate this research into practical solutions for real-world challenges,” explains Pascale Engel de Abreu.

Her team at the Faculty of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences has developed several interventions, including an early literacy programme, rigorously tested and recognised for innovation. “Our goal wasn’t just to publish scientific papers and win awards,” Prof. Engel de Abreu emphasises. “We wanted to make a real impact for children. We identified a clear need for evidence-based interventions, including here in Luxembourg. Our goal was to bridge this science-to-practice gap.” Their second FNR grant allowed them to develop an educational app.

In 2019, LUMI was founded to bring these innovations to children. However, the journey wasn’t without challenges. “Start-ups require funding, and the obvious path was to establish a for-profit enterprise targeting a lucrative market. Yet our vision was to aid those most in need, not solely those who can afford it,” explains Prof. Engel de Abreu.

Discovering Luxembourg’s unique Societal Impact Company (SIS) model was pivotal. Their social impact project was recognised in the Touchbase programme by the Luxembourg Ministry of Labour. “This opportunity allowed us to refine our social impact vision, blending entrepreneurial skills with scientific expertise.”

Although this model is new, the University of Luxembourg has been supportive recently formalising a licensing agreement with LUMI SIS, marking a crucial step towards real-world application. Crucial backing from two foundations will enable them to offer their app for free to children most in need in the months ahead. “We firmly believe that publicly funded research should directly benefit the public,” she concludes.

Reflecting on her journey, she encourages women scientists: “Entrepreneurship knows no bounds of gender, age, or discipline. Creating a spin-off as an academic isn’t just about innovation; it’s about transforming scientific ideas into practical solutions for society.”