University to play key role to boost South East business

The partnership, led by Anglia Ruskin University, has secured funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to support innovation and growth amongst small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across the East and the south-east of England. 

The programme, Knowledge Exchange and Embed Partnerships (KEEP+), will connect SMEs to academic expertise and graduate talent, via a new programme of subsidised research and development support to enable SMEs to develop and launch new products and services.

Professor Andrew Lloyd, the University of Brighton’s Interim Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Enterprise, said: “We are pleased to be involved in an initiative that dovetails with our strong reputation as a knowledge exchange partner through national schemes such as Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, and other work we do with businesses and innovators.

“Thanks to the ERDF funding, this new KEEP+ programme will deliver real benefits for regional businesses in the South East and East of the country.”

Through the provision of grants, KEEP+ will aim to increase innovation activity in SMEs, strengthen local innovation ecosystems, engage SMEs in knowledge exchange, enable new products and services to be introduced to the market, and support the creation of new jobs.

Professor Andrew Lloyd

The University of Brighton is one of nine KEEP+ delivery partners in this three year programme. SMEs registered in the following four Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) areas can get involved: Essex, Kent and East Sussex (South East LEP), Cambridgeshire (Greater Cambridgeshire/Greater Peterborough LEP), Hertfordshire (Hertfordshire LEP), and Suffolk and Norfolk (New Anglia LEP).

Among the benefits available to local companies are: 12-week graduate innovation internships; three-way collaborative partnerships between businesses, graduate employees and academic experts, which typically last 12 months; and innovation networking events.

The network events will bring innovative companies together with third sector organisations and charities, local authorities, and the NHS to explore how they could capitalise on the new market opportunities created by major societal challenges such as ageing and climate change.

Professor Roderick Watkins, Anglia Ruskin University’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation, said: “We surveyed SMEs that took part in our previous Low Carbon KEEP programme and found that cost was the most significant barrier to innovation. Two thirds said that they will need support with innovation in the next three years and this new programme will deliver that support by supplying personnel with the right skills and experience.”

SMEs interested in working with the University of Brighton via the KEEP+ programme should email KTP Manager Dr Shona Campbell for further information at  s.e.campbell@brighton.ac.uk.