Member Article

Business and University collaboration

A vital ingredient for any ambitious company’s growth strategy. Meet with the North East Universities – Durham University, March 29th

Your invitation to discover how University resource can compliment your business innovation and growth plans. Here’s a five minute puzzle for you. Take a moment to consider what world class capabilities the UK can still employ to compete in the global market place?

I would be very surprised that if on your list you didn’t include the resources available from across our University network. The UK has 19 of the World’s top Universities (only surpassed by the USA, which has 31), 8 of which are in the top 30 world ranking.

So what? How is this relevant to business? You may think that Universities are teaching establishments and their research is too far away from your markets or products to be relevant to your business; but that’s not the whole story.

If you have ambitions for your business to be progressive, develop and grow in the global market, (the real single market) then you ignore this valuable resource, on your doorstep, at your peril!

Customers buy innovation, smart design, efficiency and creativity. Working with collaborative partners who can help you develop your products or services along these lines with accelerate your business growth plans.

Whether you’re a large or small company, you’ll recognise that the synergy of collaboration is far more productive than a closed environment with limited resources. Engaging collaborative partners enables your business to be more innovative, and you should seriously consider the university network as part of your collaborative network.

“But it’s difficult”, I hear you cry, “Universities work on a different timescale, speak a different language, cost too much and want to wrap me up in IP contracts” is a common refrain. Well that doesn’t always need to be the case.

A recent survey by the Electronics Technology Network (ETN) for the House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee, identified that although 70% of businesses within the network have engaged with Universities in some way, a staggering 93% of members identified a desire to understand more about what Universities do, how they can help their business, and how to contact them. An encouraging indicator highlighting the ambition the UK technology business community demonstrate for innovation.

One initiative to bridge the gap between academia and business, is the ETNs “Commercialising University IP and Services” programme. Working with Universities in regional clusters, starting in the North East, with Durham, Newcastle, Northumbria, Sunderland and Teesside, showcasing and demonstrating the outcomes from the research agendas and the services Universities provide that are relevant to business, demonstrating how they can collaborate with business.

Business engagement with Universities can deliver value at several levels, starting with graduate recruitment, project specific work, contracting of business services and of course licensing or co-research projects where new innovations can be created.

At a minimum, you should be aware of what your regional cluster of Universities can do for you, and how to connect with them. Understanding which Universities across the UK best meet your needs is most desirable.

The North East region has also been awarded European grant funding to run Internships, Graduates working on specific, short term (6 month) projects. Up to 50% of costs are paid. If your company has a project in mind, David Donkin (Sunderland), Geoff Archer (Teesside) and Sam Neil (Newcastle) will be available to discuss how the scheme works. For projects of greater duration, a KTP may well be the right vehicle. Richard Parker-Smith will be available to discuss how KTPs can impact your business.

Jeremy Tear, from GGTC (Government Grants & Tax Consultants), will give a short presentation about recent changes to the R&D tax legislation, and will be available in the afternoon for the one-2-on brokerage sessions.

- Did you know that the scope of R&D tax credits can also cover process innovation as well as technology, product or service innovation? Your innovations may well be within scope to make a claim.

- Did you also know that for SME’s, the amount you can claim has been increased by the Chancellor, George Osborne, (the definition in Europe for an SME is company of 500 employees or less).

- What’s the Chancellor doing giving money away I hear you ask? Well, the R&D tax credit funding for SME’s is drawn from the “euro” pot of money, not directly from the Inland Revenue. Hence the reason why the upper limit is now 225% from April 1st 2012.

- Did you also know that 150,000 companies in the UK are eligible for R&D tax credits, but only 10% of these companies claim? Is your company claiming?

- Did you also know that you can claim historically, going back two fiscal years?

GGTC operate on a no-win/no-fee basis, however the information that Jeremy will impart during the event could be invaluable to your Company’s bottom if you decide to make a claim.

So this is your call to action. Spend a day, on March 29th to meet the North East Universities. Find out how they can compliment your innovation and growth plans.

Register at: http://UK-Universities.easy2partner.com/NorthEast.aspx

Business Services for delegates - two more great reasons to register and build your academic and business networks!

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ashley Evans .