Innovation and R&D ::
- Develop world-class research institutes and research within and outside education, which interlock with business, including the growth of postgraduate and research training.
- Foster closer collaboration between higher education, businesses and the public sector.
- Build on the research and information base through the further development of Local Intelligence Network Cornwall (LINC).
Strengthen existing networks/clusters and, where appropriate, build new ones. - Grow business R&D, graduate enterprise and SME participation by enabling better access to finance and business support.
Research what it takes for a peripheral and knowledge-based rural economy to succeed, and exploit this research elsewhere. - Maximise benefit from the existing bank of intellectual property, including the cultural product, and support initiatives to trade world-wide.
The Cornwall Innovators' Forum, hosted by CUC continues to play a key role in fostering closer collaboration between higher education and businesses.
April 2010: UCP Graduate Start Up Programme, attracted over 100 CUC graduate business start ups and is currently working with approx. 50 businesses to help bring them to fruition in a coordinated way with business support partners. The number of active KTPs in Cornwall would appear to be at a high with approx 20 live.
June 2010: John Bessant from Univeristy of Exeter Business School addressed 25 businesses on "Innovation Matters".
June 2010: Students from Univeristy College Falmouth, 3D Design benefited from visits to Kensa Engineering and Ice; both visits were hosted by Martin Pearson of South West Manufactuers Advisory Service
Ongoing from mid-end 2008. Capital infrastructure driven capacity from 2010 onwards.
Cornwall Innovators' Forum takes place three times per annum.
Level 5 learners and qualifications. Increased capital infrastructure in place and staffed. Number of business HE/Research institute collaborations and measures of business benefit arising. Increased numbers involved with
the Innovators' Forum. Establishment of a R&D Fund to incentivise and enable investment in R&D.
See CUC Annual Review published 18 November which provides evidence of performance in all key areas.
The generation of new inward investment to Cornwall from overseas and UK - delivered by 2 separate teams:
UK and Europe - Dominique Tregenza-Symons
Rest of the World (Convergence funded) - Lucy Hunt
New Convergence-funded project InvestinCornwall focusing on non-EU international inward investment (FDI) launched May 2010 to be delivered by team of 4.
The Cornwall Pure Business service (focusing on UK and Europe) was rebranded simultaneously to carry the same InvestinCornwall name and to obviate client confusion around the use of different names. Team of 3.
Clients will be sorted via the access point to the website and by the desk officers.
InvestinCornwall FDI will run to June 2012
UK and Europe activity funded via the council's annual rolling contract with CDC
None
FDI targets include measuring (the success of) the range promotional activity, referrals to partner organisations, Business Link and UKTI and, over the lifetime of the project, 4 new investments, 20 new jobs and £600,000 GVA
UK and Europe targets for 2010/11: 22 new investments, 150 new jobs
Graduate Placements
This project develops post-graduate employment pathways through placements, promotes graduate employment in businesses in Cornwall and promotes and supports graduate and postgraduate start up company formation and growth. Postgraduate students are also supported in undertaking a consultancy project or placement, within a Cornish SME, aligned to the curriculum requirements of the student's Postgraduate Programme.
Support is through:-
- Subsidised salary costs
- Business Development Managers (BDM) identify growth potential
- Support the individual to fulfil the project requirements.
- Graduate placements vary from 6 to 12 months
- Potential entrepreneurs are helped by relevant signposting to existing provision/resources.
Target of 550 placements by the end of 2010 with 415 of these achieving full time employments.
249 companies currently processed and 223 offers of funding support - 76% of target at this stage. Taking into account that this is being achieved in the current economic climate, which was not forecast when the target figures were originally constructed and allowing for the capacity build up in the workload of the BDM's, this performance seems at least satisfactory. In addition of a "pod" of graduates, employed by HE institutions to work on specific business/recession related areas of need for businesses, is now actively engaged in e-marketing projects for businesses and is operating from business incubation facilities in the Media Centre at the Tremough Campus.
There are approximately twelve live KTPs, Knowledge Transfer Partnerships in progress within SMEs across the county mainly with University of Plymouth. University of Exeter also offers KTPs. KTP staff have been appointed for the PRIMaRE project to foster knowledge transfer and a KTP Coordinator has been recently appointed to cover Cornwall so that businesses can access graduates from all over the UK. The new shorter KTP was launched in July 2009 with University of Plymouth starting its first shorter KTP. Knowledge transfer is being nurtured in FE colleges in particular at Cornwall College through the BIKE project, a FE capacity building innovation related project. Knowledge transfer and business engagement is a key component of CUC projects under commission.
1100 graduate placements. 830 jobs resulting from placement activity.
Work continues to develop business plans for the planned Innovation Centres in the county. The Agri-Food facility at Stoke Climsland is open and is undertaking product and skills development work with land-based and food companies both within and outside the area.
From 2010 onwards for capital build. Engagement with businesses in advance of this.
Number of businesses supported and business performance gains resulting.
Incubation space is available for Creative Industry businesses at University College Falmouth and at Plymouth University. Plymouth University has just launched additional incubation space available for STEM (scientific, technology, engineering and maths) based businesses.
See above
See above. Add Business Starts and Survival Rates