UK/US Science Bridge
Keeping the UK competitive in a global economy: universities' international partnerships with industry and universities
The UK must build and be able to advertise its international business and research relations if we are to continue to be marketable to industry in a competitive global economy. Whilst some countries are able to offer research at significantly reduced costs, the UK offers extremely high quality research, as shown by its citation rankings. Globalisation is an opportunity in which the crème de la crème of researchers, entrepreneurs and industry are working together to create the best companies. However, the market is increasingly fiercely competitive with many industries starting to "procure" research on cost-basis rather than top-quality (or potentially reliability).
In order to continue to attract industry, UK universities are further developing their international business and research partnerships. Industry are much more interested in engaging with UK university research and enterprise if it means that working with the UK means "working with the world". If the UK can continue to build the reputation as a quality one-stop shop for the best research and best global connections, we can improve the loyalty and the repeat business and the new business of large international industries funding research and commercialisation.
Maximising the SETsquared Partnership's Universities-Industries' Relationships
The SETsquared Partnership was awarded a £1.5 million Science Bridge from the UK Department of Trade and Industry to create and develop valuable relationships between the high-technology research and development clusters in southern England and those in Southern California, for long-lasting economic benefit. The Science Bridge is comprised of the SETsquared Partnership, the University of California, San Diego and the University of California, Irvine. The Science Bridge also works closely with Global Connect, a globally recognised public-benefits organisation fostering entrepreneurship in the San Diego region with technology and life sciences businesses.
Specifically, the programme seeks to link together the early stage technology enterprise communities from southern England and Southern California e.g. entrepreneurs, early stage companies, venture capitalists, business angels and knowledge transfer professionals. It also seeks to seed relationships between academics at the Universities of Bath, Bristol, Southampton and Surrey and academics at the University of California San Diego (UCSD) and the University of California Irvine (UCI), together with researchers in industry around existing or planned applied collaborative research activity.
Funding for the programme was made available in April 2006, by the UK's Government Office of Science and Innovation, of £1.5m over two years.
The programme is seeding these relationships by funding a number of activities within the two themes of Applied Collaborative Research and Start-Ups. Much of the funding will be available to potential collaborators through awards for travel, applied research bid development and business development.
Contact information for the SETsquared Partnership UK-US Science Bridge:
Karen Brooks
07810 805406
Nick Smailes
07767 685775
