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Grants up for grabs
Lianne Cooper
18 July 2008
A PIONEERING scheme that encourages companies to work with universities and colleges to incorporate new technologies and services into their businesses has returned with £240,000 in grants up for grabs in Worcestershire.
The successful Innovation Vouchers, backed by Advantage West Midlands (AWM) and administered by Aston University, were the first of their kind in the UK when piloted in the region last year. They are now going nationwide after revolutionising the way businesses interact with the higher education sector.
The scheme - called INDEX (Innovation Delivers Expansion) - centres on the pooling of resources of 13 West Midland universities and higher education institutions. Since June last year 140 vouchers have been awarded to SMEs and a further 80 are being advertised this month, worth £3,000 each.
Dr Philip Extance, director of innovation at AWM, said: “The beauty of this scheme is that companies in the West Midlands can tap into the expertise of any of the region’s universities at minimum cost and risk – and then expect to see real improvements in their performance."
For more information visit www.indexvouchers.org. -
The Bigger Picture
Helping businesses - Dr Judy Scully, INDEX project manager at Aston University, Dr Philip Extance, director of innovation at AWM, Dr David Guy, from the Social Research Council, Gil Murray, assistant regional director at the CBI, and Alasdair Rose from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. (s)
Contact:
Alcester Standard Editor Redditch & Alcester Standard Webb House, Church Green East, Redditch, Worcestershire B98 8BP 01527 588688 Email-
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