10 April, 2012, by Steve Upcraft

Ingenious or Irrelevant?

Can alliances between small and medium sized businesses (SME’s) and higher education institutions (HEI’s) really add value to both parties or are their worlds so far apart they are irrelevant to each other?

Over the last decade, staff at the University of Nottingham and many other UK HEI’s have progressively developed their skills, capabilities and resources to try and answer this question.  Also, the dramatic changes to the business support landscape in recent years has potentially added to the need for business leaders and academics to work more closely together.  Here at Nottingham we are in no doubt that smaller businesses can benefit from a relationship with the university just as our larger corporate partners do, however we aware this can be an uncomfortable space for both parties to work in.

Staff have developed numerous ways to communicate and work with local and regional SME’s and this Blog is our latest addition.  We intend to express views, stimulate debate and hopefully develop ever more effective ways of contributing to the regional economy by pro-actively working with businesses leaders that feel the knowledge and resources of the university can assist in moving their business forward.

We will keep you updated with events and activities through the blog but of equal importance to us are your thoughts and comments so we’d actively encourage you and your colleagues to get involved and influence ‘Ingenuity’ and help businesses to ‘find new ways of doing things’!

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