Category / Business Engagement

Business networking session – virtual and augmented reality

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A networking session will take place on 23 May as part of “Impact Week, with the aim of to taking  a closer look at how research can have an impact and make a difference beyond academia, and the ways in which this can be achieved. Developing relationships with external organisations in order to form partnerships and collaborations are just one such way in which to recognise potential “need” for  research.

This is a themed networking session: H2H – bringing research to life (Human2Human). A business networking event on the topic of virtual and augmented reality

Time: 14.30-16.00

Location: PG10 – Talbot campus

Event description:

Virtual and augmented reality offers users new ways of perceiving and interacting with the digital world.  Not limited to the entertainment sectors, this approach can be adopted for both technical and industrial contexts.

This drop in session provides an opportunity to find out more about the topic and approaches currently being undertaken both within and outside the university.  Attendees will have the opportunity to network with academics from BU and local industry partners that may already be involved in projects or are keen to develop collaborations within this area.

Find out more and book now via Eventbrite

 

 

 

 

‘Meet the Entrepreneur’ – Damien Lee

The Business School and Centre for Entrepreneurship were delighted to welcome Damien Lee to the EBC yesterday for the fourth in our series of ‘Meet the Entrepreneur’ seminars.

Damien Lee, founder of Mr Lee’s Noodles Company Ltd, is an adventurous and focused entrepreneur with a vision to create affordable, healthy fast food options, particularly for young people.

Mark Painter, Business Development Manager for The Business School, said, ‘Damien has founded and run many successful businesses across a diverse range of sectors including oil, leisure and recruitment’, Mark added, ‘It was particularly interesting to hear Damien say that creating a business is ultimately about making money, however, at the same time, Damien believes enterprises should ensure they give something worthwhile back to those societies and communities they serve’.

A cancer survivor – once told “he only had weeks” – and a fervent believer in the role of food in health. Damien is passionate about supporting young people and through Mr Lee’s HEY Foundation aims to raise awareness of the importance of eating good food (Health), provide life coaching (Educate) and encourage young people to get active and set personal goals (Youth).

This was a great opportunity for students and staff to hear about Damien’s personal journey as an entrepreneur and learn more about his own experiences as a business owner and his approach to founding and growing an innovative business.

In recognition of Damien’s support for BU’s enterprise activities, at the end of the seminar Mark Painter invited Damien to join the Centre for Entrepreneurship’s cohort of Entrepreneurs in Residence. Mark Painter said, ‘I’m delighted that Damien is able to join our group of Entrepreneurs in Residence and we very much look forward to seeing Damien at further events in the future.’

More information about Mr Lee’s Noodles Company Ltd can be found at www.mrleesnoodles.com

Details of future events being organised by the Centre for Entrepreneurship can be found at www.bucfe.com

 

 

Vocational Learning Technology Fund

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The aim of this Ufi Charitable Trust investment programme is to offer early-stage funding of up to £50k to organisations that are looking to develop new services or improve access to and delivery of adult learning through the imaginative use of digital technology. This programme will provide funding and support to help ventures in developing their ideas into a more robust digital product or service. Click here for more information, including  funding criteria and deadlines.

 

 

New £10 million community business fund

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Power to Change, a community enterprise support organisation, has launched a new £10 million Community Business Fund, which will provide grants of between £50,000 and £300,000 to community enterprises in England.

The funding is intended to increase the social impact of community enterprises and support them to increase trading income, secure assets or reduce costs.

Find out more here.

Pollinator Exchange HEIF project connects practitioners and academics in common pursuit of urban pollinator conservation

Pollinators are vitally important ecosystem service providers. They have been credited with being responsible for pollinating one-third of the food we eat; indeed many of our crops are wholly or partially dependent on insect pollination. Hence, the decline in pollinator populations has been a cause of concern not just for scientists, but for governments and the public at large. In the UK, this has led to an official government strategy on how to best protect our pollinators: the National Pollinator Strategy (Defra 2014).

Taking into account the growing number of studies that show the vitally important role urban areas can play in pollinator conservation, the strategy recognises pollinator-friendly management across towns and cities as a key component in nationwide efforts to halt their decline. While understanding of urban pollinators’ needs and experience in managing urban green spaces for their benefit is accumulating, it can often be difficult for practitioners to find the practical advice they need to implement the right measures. This was highlighted at a recent meeting co-organised by Defra and the University of Bristol’s Urban Pollinators Project which recommended the establishment of a central repository of information for urban practitioners.

BU’s Pollinator Exchange HEIF project, launched in October 2015 collaboratively between the Faculty of Science and Technology and the Media School, aims to fulfil this role. It will result in an online portal that links practitioners, academics, NGOs, private gardeners, ecological consultants and anyone else with an active interest in urban pollinator conservation. Users are invited to share relevant guidelines, case studies, summaries of peer-reviewed papers and other content that will help urban green space managers make pollinator-friendly choices based on the latest evidence.

The project is supported by Bournemouth Borough Council and the Bumblebee Conservation Trust. A stakeholder workshop in May will provide potential users with the opportunity to comment on the portal’s content and usability, ensuring it will be both useful and intuitive when launched in July. For questions or feedback, please contact Project Manager Kathy Hodder (khodder@bournemouth.ac.uk) or Research Assistant Arne Loth (aloth@bournemouth.ac.uk).

‘Meet the Entrepreneur’ – Simon Phelps

The Business School and Centre for Entrepreneurship were delighted to welcome Simon Phelps, BU Alumni and founder of Fluvial Innovations Ltd, to the Executive Business Centre in the latest in this series of ‘Meet the Entrepreneur’ seminars.

These seminars provide an opportunity for BU students and staff to hear the personal journey of a profiled entrepreneur and learn more about their experiences as business owners and their approach to founding and growing an innovative business.

Simon Phelps founded Fluvial Innovations Ltd alongside BU in 2006 and designed, developed and patented the modular flood barrier, Floodstop. Floodstop was specifically designed to fill a gap within the market for a functional and rapidly deployable flood barrier. (www.fluvial-innovations.co.uk)

Floodstop is used throughout the UK, US and parts of Europe and won the Emergency Planners Society’s Award for Most Innovative Product of The Year 2009, was voted “The Most Innovative Product of 2009” by the Emergency Planning Society and was Winner of Climate Week – Best Climate Ready Initiative 2013.

Simon’s achievements include UK South West Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2007 and HSBC Start-Up Stars Regional Finalist 2008.

Mark Painter, Business Development Manager for the Business School commented, ‘Simon is one of our highly valued ‘Entrepreneurs in Residence’ and we very much appreciate the time he spends supporting our enterprise activities.’ Mark added, ‘It was fascinating hearing about the Floodstop story which started whilst Simon was studying at BU. One of Simon’s key messages to anyone thinking of starting their own business is to remember it is not just about selling a product or service it is about creating a profitable and sustainable business model which will require a considerable amount of time and commitment.’

The next seminar in this series of ‘Meet the Entrepreneur’ events is on Wednesday 4th May and will profile local entrepreneur, Damien Lee, founder of Mr Lee’s Noodles Company Ltd. For more information and to book your place click here www.bucfe.com/events

 

 

Invitation to FoodBIZ event – Food@BU 18th May 2016

On behalf of Professor Heather Hartwell and Professor Dimitrios Buhalis.

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Dear colleagues,

This is an invitation from Professor Heather Hartwell to attend FoodBiz – the Food Research and Innovation @ BU celebration, on Wednesday 18th May 2016 at Bournemouth University, Executive Business Centre (7th floor).

 This FREE event brings together industry and academic partners to celebrate our Food Research and Innovation in the Department of Tourism and Hospitality at Bournemouth University to share findings from research and to take ideas forward within the health and wellness agenda. 

Guest speakers include industry professionals, and an update on the latest research from Bournemouth University.

The event is aimed at businesses and organisations in a range of sectors including food, tourism, hospitality and those associated with nutrition/health operating locally, nationally and internationally.

The programme themes include:

Food Innovation – Chair Professor Heather Hartwell

The research and innovation activities at BU exploit complementary competences and enable the sharing ofknowledge and ideas from research to market (and vice-versa).

 Food@BU4U – Chair Dr Sean Beer

How can the university benefit not only the user but also the foodservice industry, creating opportunities for a business to become aligned with a lifestyle product, and as a result corporate health, in a way which is novel, innovative and demonstrates excellence in science?

 Food science at work – Chair Crispin Farbrother

Bournemouth University’s research in food is international, broad and multidisciplinary.

 

We look forward to welcoming you and co-creating the future of Food Research and Innovation.

Please see the agenda and register for FREE here https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/foodbiz-tickets-19780427792 

Follow us on Twitter: @EU_FoodSMART and visit www.foodsmartproject.net 

For more information please contact: Carmen Martins: cmartins@bournemouth.ac.uk  

Amsterdam is European Capital of Innovation 2016

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Following the announcement of a shortlist of nine cities (including Glasgow and Oxford in the UK) in January, Amsterdam has emerged as the winner of the 2016 European Capital of Innovation Award.

The city was chosen for its “holistic vision of innovation related to four areas of urban life: governance, economics, social inclusion, and quality of life” by a panel of independent experts – “for embracing a bottom-up approach based on smart growth, startups, livability and digital social innovation.”

An interesting read and some interesting videos and presentations from  the winners and runners up and those short listed.

Useful information for those following research into such topics as  smart cities, innovation , ecosystems.

In full.

Press release.

 

What does Innovate UK’s latest delivery plan mean to industry ?

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Innovate UK   have just published the 2016/17 Delivery Plan. In it, you will discover some important changes in the way  they intend to support business innovation.

Key areas of the delivery plan include:

  • a new sector focus – that is easier for industry, investors and government to work with
  • changing the frequency and nature of our sector funding competitions – so that they are broader in scope than previously and form a single stream of innovation funding
  • forming a single ‘open’ funding programme –  for applications from any technology or sector
  • enhancing the role of our innovation networks – in providing guidance and support to innovative businesses both nationally and regionally

To find out more read more on their blog: A whistle-stop tour of our delivery plan or check  out the website

 

Inspiring Future Innovation Event

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Date: Tuesday 24 May

Time: 10.00am  – 4.00pm

Location: The Grange Road Business Park in Christchurch

Event information: A supply chain expo hosted by BAE Systems  in Christchurch and a chance to show innovation to not only BAE (who have people coming from far and wide) but others such as Cobham and Aish will also be exhibiting. This is the first annually held event hosted by  this organisation.  The aim being to  future innovation through showcasing BAE Systems’ own technology as well as technology from other companies. The event will provide a unique opportunity to discover new technology, as well as developing new relations with other companies within the supply chain, whilst raising the profile of exhibiting companies and providing a chance for networking and future collaboration opporuntities.

Registration is essential as there is a limited number of spaces available and will be assigned on a first come first serve basis.

To register your interest:  email –  inspiringfutureinnovation2016@baesystems.com and confirm whether you are interested in exhibiting and /or attending the event.

 

Universities increase income from business collaboration

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UK universities earned £4.2 billion from provision of services to businesses and collaborative research in the 2014-15 academic year, up from £3.9bn the previous year.
The latest Higher Education Business and Community Interaction Survey (2014 – 2015), published on 7 April by the Higher Education Statistics Agency, looked at all publicly funded UK higher education institutions and their interactions with businesses and other organisations.
In 2014-15, the largest chunk of this income was from collaborative research involving public funding, which reached £1.26bn, up from £1.14bn in the previous year. This was a change in emphasis, as in 2013-14 universities gained most of their income from contract research. However, contract research earnings also increased between 2013-14 and 2014-15, from £1.2bn to £1.21bn.

Universities also upped their earnings from courses for business and the community by £35m to £715m, from regeneration and development programmes by almost £22m to £205m, and from intellectual property by £24m to £155m.

The analysis also includes information on the number of spinouts and start-up companies created by UK universities, and shows that the number of graduate start-up companies created in 2014-15 was 4,160, lower than the 4,581 companies started in 2013-14.

However, the total number of active firms with some involvement from a higher education provider in the UK was 13,045 in 2014-15, up from 11,856 in 2013-14.

The Higher Education Funding Council for England will publish its analysis of the data for England later in the year.

This article was posted in Research Professional.

You can set up your own personalised alerts including news  on Research Professional. If you need help setting these up, just ask your School’s/Faculty’s Funding Development Officer in RKEO or view the recent blog post here.

 

 

Innovate UK launch new delivery plan – key sectors and funding opportunties included

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Innovate UK have launched their delivery plan for 2016/17 .

This  includes:

  • a new sector focus that is easier for industry, investors and government to work with
  • a 5-point plan to underpin activity across these sectors and drive productivity growth
  • clearer funding programmes that are easier to navigate
  • improvements to the way Innovate UK connects businesses to knowledge and partners
  • a stronger regional presence

With evidence of :”focusing ever more closely on scaling up SMEs” …

Clearer sector support has been established and these include four groups:

  • emerging and enabling technologies
  • health and life sciences
  • infrastructure systems
  • manufacturing and materials

Funding competitions for businesses are also to be simplified.

There will be 2 broad funding competitions covering each sector group per year, and 2 open competitions for applications from any sector or technology area. There will be other programmes and competitions in partnership with other government organisations.

Click here fore more information. 

Download the Delivery Plan.

Creative England – latest funding opportuntites

Creative England is dedicated to the growth  of the creative industries. A key aim is to investin talented people across games, TV, film and digital media.
Latest funnds, garnts and loans currently available by Creative England and their partners can be found here.
If you are interested in submitting to any of the above calls you must contact RKEO with adequate notice before the deadline.

Please note that some funding bodies specify a time for submission as well as a date. Please confirm this with your RKEO Funding Development Officer

You can set up your own personalised alerts on Research Professional. If you need help setting these up, just ask your School’s/Faculty’s Funding Development Officer in RKEO or view the recent blog post here.

If thinking of applying, why not add notification of your interest on Research Professional’s record of the bid so that BU colleagues can see your intention to bid and contact you to collaborate.

VOOM 2016: Pitch to Richard Branson to win a share of £1M in prizes

VOOM 2016 takes place over 14 weeks, including a huge public vote, a 29-hour Pitchathon (a Guinness World Records attempt, in fact), and a series of competitive face-to-face workshops.

Competition finalists will have the opportunity to pitch to Richard Branson and the six winning businesses will share over £1 million (€1.2 million) in prizes, plus additional support.

There are two categories:

  • START-UP – aimed at early stage start-up businesses
  • GROW – for businesses with revenue that are looking to grow

The winner of each category will receive social and PR support, a broadband and telecoms package, a carriage wrap on Virgin Trains, mentoring, financial advice, a £50,000 (€60,000) cash prize and much more. There are also prize packages for four runners up.

Crowdfunder are offering you the chance to run a crowdfunding campaign on top of (and as an integral part of) your competition entry. So while you are working hard to secure public support for your entry, you could also raise money at the same time.

The competition also allows you to put yourself forward for awards within your category:

  • The Impact Award – for businesses that put social and environmental impact, as well as profit, at the heart of their business
  • The Great Award – for businesses that fly the flag for Great Britain
  • The Crowdfunder Award – for those businesses that run a crowdfunding campaign in parallel with their competition entry

Key dates:

Public vote opens: 5 April 2016

Applications close: 10 May 2016

Voting closes: 23 May 2016

Find out more at https://www.vmbvoom.com

Interreg event in Poole – Thematic workshop on coastal and transitional water ecosystems

Interreg V ChannelWe have been advised by Marie Pandolfo, External Funding Manager for the Borough of Poole, that they are hosting an Interreg event.

If you are interested in applying to an INTERREG call for proposals to collaborate with French partner organisations on coastal and transitional water ecosystems, please email Christelle Pereira (Norfolk C.C. – England Programme Joint Secretariat) to register your interest and find out more.

 Friday 15th April (from 10am to mid-afternoon)

CoastBoPal and transitional water ecosystems in the France-England INTERREG V Programme

Poole Civic Centre, BH15 2RU.

The event will start at 10am (TBC) and  will last 3.5 hours in total (plus lunch break). Please note that the event will focus on priority 3.2 of the programme.

Find out more about the Interreg V  – Channel Programme.