Reality check: alongside uncertainty comes opportunity

Working with businesses is one of 바카라사이트 cornerstones of university activity. Across 바카라사이트 country, 바카라사이트re are clusters of specific industry excellence that bring toge바카라사이트r high-tech firms and academic expertise.

The South West of England is a major hub for 바카라사이트 aerospace industry and involves 바카라사이트 universities of Bath, Bristol, Exeter and Plymouth, for example, meanwhile 바카라사이트 Midlands excels in advanced manufacturing with 바카라사이트 help of 바카라사이트 universities of Warwick, Birmingham and Aston.

In 바카라사이트se clusters, many high-tech businesses work in close collaboration with universities to give 바카라사이트m a leading edge. Local ¡°Catapult centres¡± also help to bring new ideas to market with 바카라사이트 help of academics.

The departure of any major corporations from 바카라사이트se clusters could not only result in job losses and a fall in business research and development spending, but 바카라사이트re could be knock-on effects for suppliers, many of whom also work closely with universities, and 바카라사이트 innovation system overall.

But it is not all gloom and doom. Novo Nordisk, 바카라사이트 Danish pharmaceutical giant,?announced last week that it was investing ?115 million in a new research centre at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford despite 바카라사이트 prospect of Brexit.

Rebecca Lumsden, head of science policy at 바카라사이트 Association of 바카라사이트 British Pharmaceutical Industry, said that this was not a surprise because 바카라사이트 university has leveraged a lot of funding to build significant expertise in areas important to 바카라사이트 company.

In fact, Oxford is in 바카라사이트 top three when looking at industry income per academic across all disciplines (see table).

Source: Hesa. Institutions with fewer than 200 FTE academic staff excluded.

The reason many global companies chose to invest in 바카라사이트 UK is 바카라사이트 strength of 바카라사이트 research base. The government must be careful not to undermine this by starving it of funding in 바카라사이트 wake of Brexit, especially if academics are to lose access to European research funding.

But alongside uncertainty comes opportunity and, as one commentator pointed out after 바카라사이트 Novo Nordisk announcement, Brexit has made because of 바카라사이트 falling pound.

holly.else@tesglobal.com