07/02/2013

NI Universities Earn £100m Through Business Links

Northern Ireland’s universities earned over £100m through links with local business and the community in 2010/11.

That was the message from Employment and Learning Minister Dr Stephen Farry following the publishing of the Higher Education Business and Community Interaction Survey (HE-BCI) Northern Ireland.

Minister Farry said: "Higher education is a key driver for the Northern Ireland economy. Even during this difficult economic period it is a sector that has continued to grow and, through its work with local businesses, contribute significantly to the local economy.

"This report provides evidence of the growing relationship between our universities and the business sector. There is an increasing awareness among commercial businesses, the public sector and community organisations of the economic advantages that can be brought by closer engagement with our universities. The analysis also reveals that Higher Education Institutions have outperformed their UK peers in the fields of collaborative research, income from intellectual property and the number of sustainable spin-off companies."

Two local companies which have benefited from collaborating with Northern Ireland universities are Williams Industrial Services Ltd and Moon Products Ltd.

Williams undertook a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) project with Queen’s University’s environmental sciences research centre to extend its research and development activity.

Moon Products Ltd, a bespoke jewellery company based in Cookstown, collaborated with the University of Ulster’s School of Art and Design to develop designs and develop drawings into prototypes.

(IT)

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