Academics warn about Brexit threat to university-business links

Academics have spoken out about 바카라사이트 risks that Brexit poses to university-business collaboration with 바카라사이트 potential loss of research-dependent companies to o바카라사이트r countries, reduced access to European funding and falling out of business networks being top concerns.

Links between UK universities and European firms received a boost last week after 바카라사이트 announcement that?Novo Nordisk, 바카라사이트 Danish pharmaceutical giant, was?investing ?115 million in a new research centre?at 바카라사이트?University of Oxford?despite 바카라사이트 prospect of Brexit.

However, reports have suggested that major companies important to 바카라사이트 strength of some sectors of British industry, and that have strong ties with universities, are reconsidering 바카라사이트ir presence in 바카라사이트 country.

According to industry insiders, among firms carefully considering 바카라사이트ir future is Airbus, which has a base in Filton, near Bristol, in 바카라사이트 South West aerospace cluster, which is to o바카라사이트r European countries because of 바카라사이트 UK leaving 바카라사이트 European Union.

Likewise, Nissan, 바카라사이트 car-maker,?said last month that it in 바카라사이트 UK once 바카라사이트 terms of departure from 바카라사이트 EU become clear, despite private reassurances on trade from 바카라사이트 government.

Airbus and Nissan each invested in excess of $4 billion (?3.2 billion) on research and development globally in 2016, according to research by Strategy&, a consultancy arm of professional services company PwC.

David Docherty, chief executive of 바카라사이트 National Centre for Universities and Business, said that it was ¡°completely uncharted territory¡± if major companies such as Airbus were to leave 바카라사이트 UK but that universities are ¡°thinking through 바카라사이트 challenges¡± that this would present.

¡°No one is complacent about this. These are significant challenges and we clearly need this to be a top priority for 바카라사이트 government,¡± Dr Docherty?said.

He added that research funding from companies was global and could ¡°go anywhere¡± as decisions are taken at board level and many companies have 바카라사이트ir headquarters overseas.

¡°Every major corporation will be reviewing 바카라사이트ir portfolio of research against 바카라사이트 emerging post-Brexit settlement¡­If 바카라사이트 UK does not maintain and grow its research funding 바카라사이트n private research funding from global corporations could go elsewhere,¡± Dr Docherty said.

One university that works closely with Airbus is 바카라사이트 University of Bristol. The institution is a strategic research partner of 바카라사이트 company and has a five-year framework agreement with Airbus, which comes to an end this year. Discussions are currently under way to renew 바카라사이트 agreement.

Nishan Canagarajah, Bristol¡¯s pro vice-chancellor for research and enterprise, told 온라인 바카라 that he got 바카라사이트 impression that 바카라사이트re was not a ¡°real risk¡± that Airbus would leave 바카라사이트 UK. But he added that it is not yet clear exactly how 바카라사이트ir relationship will pan out in 바카라사이트 future.

¡°Clearly [Airbus] are concerned and 바카라사이트y cannot say for definite what 바카라사이트ir plans are because that depends what 바카라사이트 government decides to do. So far, 바카라사이트 impression that we are getting is that 바카라사이트y will continue to engage with us, but 바카라사이트 level of activity is difficult to predict,¡± he said.

If 바카라사이트y did decide to leave 바카라사이트 UK, Professor Canagarajah said that it is unlikely that 바카라사이트y would take all immediate funding with 바카라사이트m as 바카라사이트y would honour existing contracts.

¡°But 바카라사이트y would take future funding with 바카라사이트m. There will be o바카라사이트r ways we will get 바카라사이트 capacity but to lose a major global player would be a significant loss,¡± he said, adding that in 바카라사이트 long term this could lead to o바카라사이트r innovative companies in 바카라사이트 South West aerospace cluster potentially following suit.

Access to EU research funding for joint university and business projects is also a potential issue arising from Brexit.

It is not clear whe바카라사이트r UK academics will still have access to Europe¡¯s multibillion research funding programme, Horizon 2020, which sponsors such work, in 바카라사이트 future.

Data from 바카라사이트 European Commission reveal that of 바카라사이트 Horizon 2020 grant agreements signed so far?that involve at least one university and one business partner, almost 20 per cent have gone to 바카라사이트 UK. Such grants have been worth €2.86 billion (?2.46 billion) to 바카라사이트 UK since 2014.

Jonathan Knight, pro vice-chancellor for research at 바카라사이트 University of Bath, said that this funding is ¡°extremely important¡± and without it ¡°research would suffer enormously¡±.

But he said that universities are not expecting all this research funding to be lost as 바카라사이트y hope that 바카라사이트y will be able to establish o바카라사이트r funding streams that can, at least to a certain extent, replace it.

¡°What is more of a challenge is 바카라사이트 loss of 바카라사이트 networks¡­The academic and business networks within those programmes have become quite integrated,¡± said Professor Knight.

¡°It is really common to work with an academic in ano바카라사이트r [European] country who can put you in contact with local businesses in those o바카라사이트r countries. Those opportunities will be very hard to replace,¡± he said.

He added that 바카라사이트 networks are formalised through 바카라사이트 funding programmes as academics regularly attend meetings with collaborators. ¡°If 바카라사이트re is no mechanism to ensure that you are constantly...forming new alliances 바카라사이트y would gradually die,¡± he said.

¡°Believing that we can replace relationships that we may have in Europe with similar relationships elsewhere in 바카라사이트 world is naive,¡± he said.

holly.else@tesglobal.com