Knowledge transfer from universities and colleges to business and the wider community is to be supported by a government funding boost worth £185 million.
Part of a drive to stimulate the UK's innovation performance and productivity, 124 awards will be made over the next two years via the Higher Education Innovation Fund (HEIF2).
English universities and colleges will use the money to carry out a range of knowledge transfer-related activities such as promoting networking between universities and businesses; developing the infrastructure and capability to transfer knowledge from universities into business and the community; and contributing specialised knowledge to regeneration programmes.
Approximately a third of the awards have been made to collaborative projects between higher education institutions.
Science and innovation minister Lord Sainsbury said: "Our universities play a vital role in generating world-class knowledge and research and providing us with a highly qualified workforce.
"The fund will achieve its focus of supporting many existing successful projects as well as providing the means for more to be set up by a wider range of higher education institutions."
Alan Johnson, minister for lifelong learning, further and higher education added: "It is vital that we continue to support innovation and growth in our regional economies which is why I am pleased that over 100 different higher education institutions across England will benefit from this new allocation of funds.
"I look forward to these institutions working with local business to exploit the latest research and technology and turning it into more jobs and greater productivity." |
