20 University Enterprise Zones to be set up to develop businesses across 海角视频

The 拢20m project has been designed to give businesses access to academic expertise and help them grow

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13:08, 20 SEP 2019
Updated10:02, 23 SEP 2019

A host of new business incubators are to be established around the 海角视频 through a 拢20m scheme that will create 20 new University Enterprise Zones (UEZ).

The UEZs have been established as innovation centres where businesses can work with local universities to innovate and grow.

It is hoped the scheme will be able to stimulate growth in local economies by providing support to local businesses, allowing them to create jobs.

Each of the 20 projects will have their own focus, ranging from aerospace and smart energy to the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

The Innovate Tees Valley UEZ at Teesside University is one of the programmes that has received the new status. The Middlesbrough campus will become a 拢5.6m enterprise one and will work with businesses to drive growth through digital innovation.

Prof Paul Croney, vice-chancellor and chief executive of Teesside University, said: 鈥淭his is a hugely positive development for the area. The UEZ will place Teesside University and its focus on enterprise, innovation and growth firmly at the heart of the Tees Valley economy. It reflects our key mission as an anchor institution driving economic growth in the region.

鈥淭eesside University has an excellent reputation for creating and sustaining digital start-ups and, by working alongside our established academic expertise in business and digital technologies, we look forward to delivering a new pipeline of sustainable, high-growth businesses into the Tees Valley business sector.鈥�

The University of Exeter Enterprise Zone (UEEZ) will also be established to create a community of entrepreneurs, innovators and early-stage businesses at Exeter Science Park.

The programme will provide free access to incubator facilities, co-working and maker spaces, with the aim of making the region an international centre for environmental, digital and data science.

Meanwhile The University of Cambridge is launching the Greater Cambridge Health Tech Connect, which will work to address real world challenges such as unmet medical needs.

Prof Andy Neely, pro-vice chancellor for enterprise and business relations at the University of Cambridge, said: 鈥淐ambridge has a rich history of scientific discovery and innovation, and its innovation ecosystem is recognised as world leading. This new Government funding will help us build and strengthen connections across often very different disciplines, further accelerating innovation across the city and beyond.鈥�

The 20 UEZs will be launched with 拢20m worth of investment that is being delivered by Research England - part of 海角视频 Research and Innovation.

Universities Minister Chris Skidmore said: 鈥淒elivering on our research and innovation ambitions means putting people first, whether they are just starting out in their career or are leading major projects in academia or industry.

鈥淭hese inspirational Future Leaders Fellows will generate the ideas of the future, helping to shape science and research for the 21st century. But to realise the full potential of these discoveries, their ideas need to be taken out of the lab and turned into real products and services, where they can actually change people鈥檚 lives for the better.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 why we are creating 20 new University Enterprise Zones, helping local start-ups to co-locate in universities to build the businesses of the future 鈥� all inspired by university research.鈥�

The full list of UEZs and the amount of funding they have received can be found below:

STEAMincubator - Birmingham City University (拢530,000)

AVIATE+ - Cranfield University (拢1.2m)

Keele University Corridor University Enterprise Zone - Keele University (拢910,000)

Secure Digitalisation University Enterprise Zone - Lancaster University (拢1.5m)

Oxford Brookes Artificial Intelligence & Data Analysis Incubator (AIDA) - Oxford Brookes University (拢1.2m)

QMUL/Barts Life Sciences University Enterprise Zone - Queen Mary University of London (拢1.5m)

Wellbeing Accelerator - Sheffield Hallam University (拢900,000)

Staffordshire Advanced Materials Incubation and Accelerator Centre (SAMIAC) - Staffordshire University (拢800,000)

Unit DX+ - University of Bristol (拢1.5m)

East London Inclusive Enterprise Zone (ELIEZ) - UCL (拢500,000)

Greater Cambridge Health Tech Connect - University of Cambridge (拢500,000)