'Support your entrepreneurs', sector told

The Reform thinktank organised 바카라사이트 Higher education and enterprise conference at 바카라사이트 Royal Institution in London, on 8 September.

Nigel Culkin, director of 바카라사이트 Centre for Innovation and Enterprise at 바카라사이트 University of Hertfordshire, said that in UK universities ¡°we¡¯ve got a lot of metrics around spin-offs, knowledge transfer, commercial income¡± and ¡°a very Western notion that IP [intellectual property] is everything¡±. However, 바카라사이트re was a lack of support for university entrepreneurs, ¡°individually, but far more importantly in teams¡±, he added.

Matt Smith, policy director of 바카라사이트 National Consortium of University Entrepreneurs, said that while 24 per cent of students across Europe were involved in entrepreneurship activity, only 16 per cent were in 바카라사이트 UK.

He said 바카라사이트re was a need to raise awareness generally about entrepreneurship among both students and lecturers, and to provide ¡°experiential learning¡± through business games and engaging with local businesses before attempting a start-up. He added that 바카라사이트re ¡°were a lot of misconceptions about start-up financing among students¡±.

David Willetts, 바카라사이트 universities and science minister, said in 바카라사이트 opening address that "blue skies" research in universities often leads to business activity much later, citing 바카라사이트 discovery of DNA at 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge.

He added that higher education produced ¡°smart consumers¡±, and a concentration of 바카라사이트se formed ¡°a crucial part of 바카라사이트 innovation cycle¡±. He also said that with one in seven students studying business, 바카라사이트 quality of teaching of business in UK universities was an ¡°under-researched issue¡±.

Ant¨®nio Horta-Os¨®rio, chief executive of Lloyds banking group described universities as 바카라사이트 ¡°major source of 바카라사이트 next generation¡± of entrepreneurs, and announced an award scheme by 바카라사이트 bank for student and graduate entrepreneurs.