Local universities continue to assist economic growth - Empey
10 July 2008
The latest survey of interaction between the Higher Education (HE) sector and business demonstrates the major role universities and colleges play in the UK economy.
The seventh Higher Education-Business and Community Interaction (HE-BCI) survey report shows that universities and colleges continue to make a substantial contribution to the economy and society across a broad range of activities. These activities vary widely, from the commercialisation of new knowledge, through the delivery of professional training, consultancy and services, to activities intended to have direct social benefits.
The survey shows that the two Northern Ireland HE Institutions have succeeded in increasing the breadth of their collaboration across the local economy. Queen’s University Belfast now works with 15 of the 19 Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) sectors in Northern Ireland, and the University of Ulster with all but one. This is a considerable improvement on the 2005/06 figures where both institutions worked with 13 out of the 19 SIC sectors.
This success is also reflected in the collaborative research income to the two universities which has increased by nearly one third from the previous survey.
Employment and Learning Minister, Sir Reg Empey welcomed the results of the survey and said: “As well as the substantial increase in collaborative research income achieved by our two universities, which now stands at over £14m, the value of individual research contracts with the two universities are now, on average, 50% higher than last year. Commercial businesses and non-commercial organisations are seeing the benefits that the expertise within our universities can bring and are spending almost £11m on contract research and a further £2.6m on specialist consultancy services.”
“This success reflects the growing emphasis of the universities on so-called Third Stream activities, i.e. business and community facing, the core funding for which is provided jointly by my Department and InvestNI through the introduction of the Higher Education Innovation Fund in 2004.”
NOTES TO EDITORS:
1. The report is published jointly by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS), the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) and the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). It was produced by (HEFCE) on behalf of several stakeholders including the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW) and the Department for Employment and Learning.
2. All UK HEIs were included in the survey, giving a highly representative indication of the whole sector.
3. The UK Standard Industrial Classification of Economic Activities (SIC) is used to classify business establishments and other statistical units by the type of economic activities they are engaged in.
4. Media queries to the Department for Employment and Learning Press Office on 028 9025 7872.
5. Out of office hours please contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.
