Leeds to host centres of industrial collaboration

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Jul 5, 2004

Leeds University has won contracts to deliver two pioneering new centres, launched this week by Yorkshire Forward to help businesses exploit world-class research.

Leeds University has won contracts to deliver two pioneering new centres, launched this week by Yorkshire Forward to help businesses exploit world-class research.

Last year, Yorkshire Forward became the first Regional Development Agency to establish a network of Centres of Industrial Collaboration (CICs), a GBP 11 million initiative with the European Regional Development Fund to establish a world-class scientific, technical and research resource for industry.

Since then, the initial CICs have grossed over GBP 7million in research income, worked with more than 70 businesses and created or safeguarded 38 jobs.

Five further centres are now being established at universities around the region seeking commercial uses for research ranging from environmental technologies to pharmaceutical innovation aimed at boosting Yorkshire Forward's key clusters of advanced engineering and metals, chemicals, biosciences, digital industries and food and drink.

Leeds University has won a contract to deliver the Food Chain CIC and a contract with Hull University to deliver the Engineering Design CIC aimed at improving the competitiveness of industry through engineering design and innovation.

CICs each appoint a commercial manager to translate the business benefits of each university's research and development expertise to businesses.

They collaborate with industry, offering services on a full commercial basis.

The knowledge, expertise, skills and physical assets of the centres will be used to solve companies' technical, design, product development, production or other problems.

Research at the Food Chain CIC will allow companies to maximise food quality, find lasting technical solutions, help the food industry add value to its products and provide safer and more nutritious food.

Prof Bronek Wedzicha, Centre Director, said: "The Food Chain CIC draws on a unique combination of expertise and equipment to provide a one-stop shop for critical research needs assessments, scoping projects, technical solutions, consultancies and training".

It will harness expertise and facilities at the Universities of Leeds and York and the Central Science Laboratory to help multinational food manufacturers based in the UK, large regional companies through to national and local SMEs and startups.

Codirector of the Engineering Design CIC, Prof Alan de Pennington, Professor of Computer Aided Engineering at Leeds said: "Through the effective collaboration of two world-renowned groups, the Engineering Design CIC offers a unique spine of design expertise, covering key aspects of efficient product and process design, providing industry with a comprehensive range of services, from consultancy to applied research projects".

"The partners share equipment and facilities that will together form the best equipped engineering design centre in the UK and on a par with the best worldwide".

"The pooling of such a range of specialised equipment, together with the supporting expertise, will provide a unique resource to engineering and manufacturing companies".

Susan Johnson, Yorkshire Forward's Business Development Director, said the CICs were key to creating growth in the region's economy.

"With growing globalisation our businesses can no longer simply compete on cost grounds alone.

We need to add value to our region's products and processes".

"Our aim is to transfer knowledge to regional companies, encourage investment by UK and international companies in the region and promote Yorkshire and Humber as the emerging force for technology and innovation".