The University is dedicated to working in partnership with local businesses, exchanging knowledge and expertise to help businesses become more competitive and enabling the local economy to flourish.
Dr James Wilkie, Director of Research and Commercial Services and Chief Executive Officer of Alta Innovations Ltd: "Collaboration with the local business community benefits both businesses and the University. Businesses benefit from the sharing of cutting-edge research knowledge and expertise and we benefit from the sector knowledge of the business partner. By working together we contribute towards the region’s economic regeneration and help to secure Birmingham’s future as an important centre for business and innovative industry.”
We offer everything for our local business partners from consultancy and advice to conferences, events and seminars, continuing professional development, student placement and employment.
We have working relationships with prestigious multinationals such as Jaguar, the BBC, Siemens, Balfour Beatty, BP, Unilever and Kodak, plus public sector organisations such as the NHS. We are also focused on promoting a culture of innovation around the city and the region by working with individual entrepreneurs, spotting and developing academic talent and supporting new business start-ups. Companies formed at the University work actively and closely with local industry.
A University spin-out company, Inanovate, was the first nanotechnology company to establish itself at the Longbridge Innovation Centre on the former Rover car factory site. Their nanotechnology solutions for cancer diagnosis are being bought to the heart of the innovation centre along with their shared expertise with business partners based in North Carolina.
If you are involved a local business, please visit the following page to find out more about how you can benefit from University expertise and how the University directly impacts on the local economy: