Setting the pace in business

In 2008, we became the leading new university in the region for business engagements, providing businesses with consultancy, skills development and research worth £25.6 million, an increase of 10% on the previous year.

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships are a major part of our activities – where graduates join businesses on placement, to improve productivity and assist with technological innovation. The University is now the leading provider of KTPs in the West Midlands and third in the UK.

This one activity alone makes us strategically important to the regional economy. Projects have covered engineering, IT, art and design, strategic marketing, 3D CAD, new product development, e-commerce systems and mobile data devices. Findings from recent schemes have shown the considerable benefits for businesses: an average increase in sales of 62%, profitability of 42%, and net profits returns of £138,000 over a five year period.

But more than that, many of the students involved have excelled beyond all expectation.

Gareth Richards, for instance, made such a contribution to Chamois Furnishings Ltd that he was employed permanently as Strategic Marketing Manager. He was also given a prestigious Business Leader of Tomorrow award at the national KTP Awards Ceremony in London. There are many other examples of individual achievement and recognition, and, as you will read here, our KTP programme featured prominently at the influential Lord Stafford Awards.

A shining example

The annual Lord Stafford Awards recognise and encourage the development of collaborative relationships between West Midlands businesses and universities. This year, Dr Alan Collins, our Director of Business Development and Enterprise, was presented with a Special Award for Outstanding Contribution to Knowledge Transfer Activities. During his time at the University, Dr Collins has played a pivotal role in securing £50 million for nearly 50 Knowledge Transfer Partnerships.

Overall, the programmes run by Dr Collins have benefited around 5,000 businesses, safeguarded more than 8,000 jobs and generated sales worth more than £200 million. Hundreds of regional business people, organisations and University staff attended the ceremony at Worcester Cathedral, where Dr Collins paid tribute to the hard work of his colleagues at the University’s Competitiveness Centre, which manages our business activity and provides a central contact point for external organisations.

Award patron, Lord Stafford, described Dr Collins’ work to bridge the gap between universities and businesses as “inspirational”.

A powerhouse of business generation

If ever there were a much-needed story of economic success, the University’s e-Innovation Centre (e-IC) is it.

Based in Telford, the e-IC provides a ‘launch pad’ and serviced ‘incubator’ units for business start-ups and small and medium-sized companies – complete with high-quality business accommodation and funded support from a team of expert IT consultants.

In 2008, the Centre reached full occupancy, housing some 60 growing businesses, with a waiting list for its business incubator units. What’s more, the e-IC was praised for its crucial role in boosting the local economy by no less a body than the National Audit Office.

Officially launched in 2007 and built as part of a £7 million project funded by Advantage West Midlands, the European Regional Development Fund and the University of Wolverhampton, the e-IC team has nurtured 77 new businesses and helped to create 73 new jobs and almost £3 million new sales, in addition to assisting over 140 businesses with IT, business and marketing consultancy. Its success demonstrates the growing innovative and hi-tech business community in the region, of which the University is a major initiator and sponsor.

One-stop shop for career development

Continuing Professional Development: it’s of crucial importance to countless careers and innumerable employers.