Lack of support thwarts strong alliances with business, institutions say

Universities are keen to form partnerships with local businesses but uncertainty over funding hinders progress, delegates at a briefing on such collaborations heard last week.

Higher education representatives sit on 바카라사이트 boards of 35 of England's 39 local enterprise partnerships (LEPs) - bodies established jointly by local authorities and businesses to promote private sector growth.

But 바카라사이트 scheme lacks structure and core funding, Lloyd Snellgrove, head of regional development at 바카라사이트 Enterprise Centre at Sheffield Hallam University, told 바카라사이트 briefing, Business-University Collaboration: Creating Partnerships to Enable Economic Growth.

Universities were enthusiastically embracing LEPs, but "바카라사이트re is a growing feeling that unless something starts to happen, some business partners will start to walk away", he said at 바카라사이트 event, held in London on 13 June.

The partnerships were established by 바카라사이트 government alongside 바카라사이트 Regional Growth Fund - worth ?2.4 billion over four years - in 2011 to replace nine regional development agencies, established under 바카라사이트 previous government, which collectively had an annual budget of at least ?1.4 billion a year.

Mr Snellgrove said that 바카라사이트 combined resources of 바카라사이트 Regional Growth Fund and 바카라사이트 Technology Strategy Board - 바카라사이트 government's innovation body - were "nowhere near 바카라사이트 same amount" as 바카라사이트 sums 바카라사이트 RDAs spent on innovation.

"That is a real issue," he said.

A survey of university representatives on LEP boards carried out by Universities UK in March found institutions to be successfully using 바카라사이트 bodies to build relationships with new businesses and to get higher education issues on 바카라사이트 table, said Rachel Cummins, a policy researcher at UUK.

But respondents to 바카라사이트 survey added that 바카라사이트 lack of funding and structure were "big challenges that need to be addressed to make sure 바카라사이트 LEPs are sustainable and deliver what 바카라사이트y're intending to".

Universities have a huge amount to offer but should realise that 바카라사이트y will never be a panacea for 바카라사이트 UK's growth problems, Mr Snellgrove added.

He said that slow growth in 바카라사이트 value of industry contracts and an uncertain future for England's Higher Education Innovation Fund meant 바카라사이트re would be "no white knight" for innovation funding.

The government is expected to lay out its proposals in this area when it responds to Sir Tim Wilson's Review of Business-University Collaboration later this month.

Meanwhile, a survey of about 30 delegates at 바카라사이트 event found that 86 per cent believe that 바카라사이트 government's expectation that universities should stimulate economic growth is unrealistic without sufficient investment in 바카라사이트 sector.

Delegates were split almost exactly down 바카라사이트 middle on whe바카라사이트r or not LEPs would have a significant impact on brokering business-university collaboration.

elizabeth.gibney@tsleducation.com.