Speakers include Celia Caulcott (Executive Director, Innovation and Skills, BBSRC and RCUK); Debbie Buckley-Golder (Head of Research Engagement, Innovate UK); Deirdre Glenn (Director Manufacturing, Engineering &Energy Commercialisation, Enterprise Ireland) and Yasemin Koc (Innovation Advisor, British Council).
Strategic alliances are high on the government’s and funders’ agendas. Significant industrial engagement is often critical to get investment for strategic university projects. Universities and industry have been collaborating for over a century; indeed many of our universities were originally established to address pre-competitive business and industrial questions. Over the last decade there have been a number of reviews calling for more and better university-industry collaboration. But what makes for a good strategic partnership?
This event shared case studies and best practices from different innovation centres (including Catapults) and their local partners, and it was encouraging to see the wide spread of activity.
The event was delivered in partnership with NCUB and Rosa Fernandez, Director of Research, did the closing keynote on how universities are working with Catapults. A key message from this event was that Catapults are just part of the range of collaborative R&D mechanism, and there are many routes to success.
The positive impact of innovation on commercial success has long been recognised. Maintaining close ties with the research base helps businesses stay ahead of curve by exploiting the latest technological advances and getting scientific developments to the end user more quickly.
The Autumn Statement was the one that everyone was waiting for, but to keep us busy the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) published a review of the Catapult Network at Innovate2014, in early November. It was a positive report for a relatively new initiative, recommending more resources additional sector hubs. Catapults came up again in the House of Commons Business Innovation and Skills Committee’s review of Business-University collaboration.