08 October 2008
Connected received 172 enquiries in first year.
A growing number of firms across Northern Ireland are working with the region’s world-class universities and colleges to gain an important edge in increasingly competitive markets.
Connected, the Department for Employment and Learning backed pilot initiative that links business with academic research, has received a total of 172 enquiries within its first year.
Lynn Connaughton, Business Development Manager for Connected said:
"The level of enquiries we've had so far proves that there is a real gap in the market here. In the past, knowledge and expertise produced in our universities often remained in them, and was not always exploited for commercial purposes. It is my belief that programmes like Connected are unique by allowing a two-way transfer both of skills and knowledge between industry and the universities, for the ultimate betterment of both Northern Ireland’s industry and economy”.
Connected, bringing together Queen’s University, University of Ulster and the six new Further Education Colleges across Northern Ireland, is helping businesses improve their performance by providing access to a broad portfolio of knowledge and technology support services.
Lynn Connaughton explained:
“There is so much value in linking businesses with academic partners, and creating mutually beneficial collaborations. For the small business, collaborating can make a significant difference between stalling at a junction in their business plan and pausing to identify the right direction before continuing en route to better things. Particularly with SMEs, development and progression can often push the boundaries of a company’s resources and it is not always easy to identify a way of reaching beyond those limits. Indeed part of the problem can be finding the resources to establish exactly what needs to change. Having so many world-class educational and research institutions on our doorstep is a tremendous asset. Tapping into the resources that universities and research institutions hold behind their doors can be a fantastic way for a business to gain access to R&D capabilities that they would never otherwise have seen.”
Universities/colleges are not just places that produce skilled graduates; they also provide a vast diversity of expertise. Outlining the benefits of knowledge transfer, Clifford McSpadden, Managing Director of B/E Aerospace said:
“B/E Aerospace is the leading airline seating facility in the world and we went out to universities to see what was available in terms of intellectual capital. We have been working very closely with the Northern Ireland Technology Centre, who has helped us in optimising our workspace and utilising our workforce. The centre has also identified other technologies and ideas, which we can implement.”
Perhaps one of the most popular forms HE/FE collaboration that companies within Northern Ireland have benefited from is Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP).
Knowledge Transfer Partnerships is Europe’s leading knowledge transfer programme which helps businesses improve their competitiveness and productivity through better use of the knowledge, technology and skills that reside within the UK knowledge base, i.e. in universities, FE colleges, Research and Technology Organisations and Public Sector Research Institutes. Each partnership employs one or more recent graduates to work on a project which is core to the strategic development of the business.
Speaking about his company’s experiences of KTP involving Queen’s University Belfast, Iain Hogg of Macrete Ireland Ltd said:
“Our staff are much more inclined to offer up new ideas and our KTP project has spawned further R&D work. By working closely with our high end clients, we believe that there are many more opportunities for improvement. Thanks to KTP, our market position has been greatly enhanced and our increased profile will help us to achieve our desired position of preferred supplier to all of the main UK contractors. The improvements to our Quality Management System will also ensure success in achieving customer satisfaction.”
Fusion Antibodies Ltd were the NI winner of the 2008 KTP National Awards, Shane Olwill, from the company stated:
“The KTP programme allowed us to overcome bottle necks in our production capabilities. Our Associate, under the guidance of his academic supervisor, introduced some key improvements allowing scale up of protein production in a cost effective manner.”
Connected is a clear sign that the further and higher education sectors in Northern Ireland are ready and willing to offer their vast pool of expertise, knowledge, research capability and world-class facilities to businesses and the community at large. Through Connected, businesses and organisations gain access to a significant resource which can bring about major business benefits.
For further information on the Connected project contact Lynn Connaughton, Connected - Business Development Manager on Tel: 028 90 900063 or email enquiries@connected.ni.org Website: www.connected.ni.org
