A new report from the Council for Industry and Higher Education (CIHE) sponsored by Research Councils UK explores how collaborations between university research and business have an impact on the economic and social wellbeing of the UK.
The report “Absorbing Research: The role of university research in business and market innovation” confirms that to get the most out of collaborative projects companies must be able to acquire and absorb research if they will want to achieve successfulknowledge exchange. The report recommends that commercial skills should be built into career progression programmes for young researchers, helping them work more effectively with business.
The report recommendations are aligned with RCUK’s continued support of excellent research that attracts business and industry from around the world and encourages collaborations between these companies and UK academic institutions.
Dr David Docherty, Chief Executive of CIHE said: “Companies and universities need a shared understanding of how research can contribute to economic growth. Businesses recognise that university researchers can generate novel ideas and think at‘right angles’ to their own R&D staff. University research has a distinctive contribution to make in creating value through supporting company innovation processes.”
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Further information
Contact:
Go to the CIHE website here.
The Council for Industry and Higher Education (CIHE) is a strategic leadership network of senior business leaders and Vice Chancellors working together to enhance economic competitiveness and social cohesion. The CIHE’s strategic leadership network focuses specifically on where businesses and universities can combine to help resolve some of the most intractable challenges we face on climate change, new energy sources, the future of engineering and life-sciences, the digital and creative economies and financial services. CIHE has recently launched two strategic task forces to explore where businesses and universities can better work together on relevant research and on creating the right jobs for the right graduates. The task forces are to focus on the areas of engineering and manufacturing, and the digital and creative industries. More information can be found at www.rcuk.ac.uk.
The seven UK Research Councils are:
- Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC);
- Biotechnology & Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC);
- Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC);
- Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC);
- Medical Research Council (MRC);
- Natural Environment Research Council (NERC);
- Science & Technology Facilities Council (STFC).