Science hub will give small firms a competitive edge
Mar 6 2009 by Iain Laing, The Journal
ENTERPRISING North East companies are to benefit from a new science collaboration between the chemical industry and academia to nurture innovation and bridge the development gap between research and the prototyping of products and services.
The University of Teesside’s ‘Science to business hub’ is to help more than 100 small local businesses to gain a competitive edge in product development by opening up innovative relationships with academic institutions and research establishments.
A £1.27m investment from the university is being matched with £1.17m from the European Regional Development Fund 2007-13 administered by One North East. It will help SMEs tap into research and network.
The North East has the lowest expenditure per head on research and development of all the regions and recent data has indicated that larger firms are more likely to be engaged in R&D activities than small companies.
The hub is to link in with two similar projects run by CPI and NEPIC, building on links between support organisations and sector bodies.
“A key aim of the project is to help our chemicals sector businesses identify their technology requirements and skills gaps, and then source partners from the universities, regional centres of excellence and research establishments to provide solutions,” said Professor Cliff Hardcastle, deputy vice-chancellor for research and enterprise at the University of Teesside.
“We will work with the companies to identify the level and scope of expertise they require to assist them with their business and technical needs and find the solution. As well as assisting at least 100 businesses in the chemicals sector, we will also be supporting 40 sector specialists to develop and widen their expertise.”
Speciality chemicals company Linchem has already seen the benefits of close collaboration with the University of Teesside. Malcolm Franklin, the company’s joint MD, said: “The university has provided excellent support via an experimental programme which demonstrated the chemical feasibility of Linchem’s novel process for the synthesis of oilfield chemicals.
“Having recently filed a patent application with the UK Patent Office drawing on the work at the University, Linchem plans to establish commercial viability in conjunction with a major international company in the oilfield sector.”
The hub will also support mentoring for key employees, feasibility studies, training needs analyses and scoping studies for further work.
One North East chief executive Alan Clarke said: “As the economy stands, there has never been a more crucial time for businesses to be able to innovate and embed applied research into their business operations.”
“The science to business hub will generate innovative ideas and bring a culture change to facilitate open working between companies, enabling them to exploit new opportunities and build alliances.”
