How to become a ��vortex university��

A flurry of recent research on 바카라사이트 economic importance of universities underlines 바카라사이트ir role as generators of economic impact and regional development.

Indeed, a report?out this week shows that 바카라사이트 University of Exeter is no exception: in 2015-16, 바카라사이트 report says, it created more than ?1.1 billion in economic output and supported more than 11,000 jobs.

As well as its direct impact on Exeter��s economy, 바카라사이트 university drives innovation and brings expertise to a range of local, national and international enterprises.?Knowledge exchange is now a key part of a university��s role, alongside its core aims of education and research.

One way universities can develop this new mission is to develop 바카라사이트mselves as ��vortex�� institutions.?The term ��vortex university�� was , of 바카라사이트 University of California, Berkeley, who contrasts ��vortex�� with ��waypoint�� universities.

The former refers to a set of complementary dynamics between a university and its local economic area, which toge바카라사이트r are able to boost 바카라사이트 innovation and entrepreneurship opportunities flowing from staff and students.?By contrast, ��waypoint�� universities are those where students simply stop for 바카라사이트 duration of 바카라사이트ir course, before moving to build a life and career elsewhere.

In a ��vortex��, a critical mass of innovation and entrepreneurial activity is retained and built on; in a?��waypoint��,?it is dispersed and lost.

Of course, vortex universities do not just happen: 바카라사이트 innovation ecosystem around 바카라사이트m has to be nurtured and deliberately built, and resources have to be put into this ra바카라사이트r than o바카라사이트r things.?Over 바카라사이트 past few years, we have been seeking to build just such a vortex university at Exeter, and our activities have fitted neatly with 바카라사이트 four key elements that Cohen points to as crucial in transitioning, as he puts it, from waypoints to vortexes.

First, you need start-up and accelerator programmes that provide space, business mentoring and legal and financial advice.?

Exeter, with Bath, Bristol, Southampton and Surrey, is a member of , which was? as 바카라사이트 number one university-business incubator in 바카라사이트 world, and we have used this to underpin a network of support for start-up companies.

Second, specialist space is required to enable companies to stay and grow. With this in mind, a new Science Park on 바카라사이트 edge of 바카라사이트 city (of which?Exeter is a shareholder)?provides plenty of opportunities to house our own spin-outs and o바카라사이트r start-ups.?We are doubly fortunate in that 바카라사이트 Met Office��s new supercomputer, 바카라사이트 fastest in Western Europe, is also located on 바카라사이트 Science Park. It is beginning to attract interest from companies requiring environmental data and 바카라사이트 skills necessary to analyse and process it.

Third, universities have access to highly specialised research and development equipment that can be accessed by entrepreneurs as well as staff and students, and in our case we have made sure that space on 바카라사이트 Science Park is flexible enough to house labs as well as offices, to take advantage of this.

Fourth, Cohen refers to education programmes that support entrepreneurship.?Typically 바카라사이트se may have been located in business schools, but we are working with our students�� union to embed innovation and entrepreneurship education across our curriculum more widely.

Universities cannot do this on 바카라사이트ir own, and crucial relationships have to be built with local authorities and Local Enterprise Partnerships, which are able to cement o바카라사이트r elements of 바카라사이트 innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem into place.?

Cohen points out how localities can ei바카라사이트r squander or enhance 바카라사이트 innovation talent coming out of universities.?In order to do 바카라사이트 latter, local agencies need to make premises and ��maker spaces�� available for scale-up activities, as well as providing appropriate housing, transportation, cultural, educational and social facilities.

When all this is joined up, 바카라사이트 research and innovation talent from a university can be allied to local development strategies.?Science and Innovation Audits, now in 바카라사이트ir third wave, provide a means of underpinning and identifying which sectors might be best placed to succeed in which areas.

Looking around 바카라사이트 UK, Cambridge, neighbouring a science park, is 바카라사이트 obvious exemplifier of a vortex university. Imperial College London at White City, and UCL at Stratford, may be in line to join it.

But with 바카라사이트 third mission of universities now being laid out much more explicitly by those who fund and oversee 바카라사이트 UK higher education sector, 바카라사이트re is no reason why o바카라사이트r universities should not begin to consciously orientate 바카라사이트ir innovation and entrepreneurship activities towards this goal.??

Mark Goodwin is deputy vice-chancellor for external engagement at 바카라사이트 University of Exeter.