Enterprise cash fuels University ‘engine’
Posted on 26 May 2006
The University’s Enterprise and Innovation office (EIO) has won the backing from HEFCE’s Innovation Fund for its business and community strategy which involves widening still further its range of knowledge transfer activities.The award will help the University to develop even closer links with the business sector and the community to develop viable new enterprises, as well as building new relationships between the University’s centres of technical excellence and industry and the public sector.
This is good news and places York in the top 20 of UK universities for enterprise funding
Simon Newton
More Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) will be established with regional business, while the University, with its partner IP Group, will increase the identification of intellectual property, spin-out and licensing opportunities. Opportunities will increase to develop Continuing Professional Development programmes with the private and public sectors and extend the enterprise culture with students and staff.
The University’s knowledge transfer activities are a vital element of the Science City York partnership with the City of York Council, which has helped to create 2,600 jobs and more than 60 new businesses since 1998.
Director of the Enterprise and Innovation Office, Simon Newton, said: “This is good news and places York in the top 20 of UK universities for enterprise funding. HEFCE is also now using the structure and organisation of the Enterprise and Innovation Office at York as an example of 'best practice' in the sector.
“The University is committed to the business and community agenda as a core activity alongside teaching and research. We want to engage business, the public sector and the community with our programmes of world-class research and teaching.”
Notes to editors:
- The University's Enterprise and Innovation Office features a team of business development managers with industry experience in IT and Communications, Life Sciences, Health and Medicine, Chemistry, Physical Sciences and Engineering, Creative Media Arts and Heritage. They work with University researchers to foster strong collaborations with industry and professions in all these sectors.
- Science City York is a successful partnership between the City of York Council, the University of York and private industry. It was created in 1998 to capitalise on the international research strengths of the University of York and other strengths of the city and sub-region to generate new high quality local business and employment opportunities The Science City York model has achieved high levels of business engagement to foster an environment in which creative, science and technology excellence can thrive. Science City York has a track record of success with more than 240 science, technology and creative organisations already based in York and creating more than 2600 jobs and 60 companies. Its vision, supported by Yorkshire Forward, is to create an additional 15,000 technology-based jobs by 2021. Further information from: www.sciencecityyork.org.uk.