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Reading's TCS- Biggest and Best – University of Reading

The University of Reading has the most successful TCS Centre in the United Kingdom. TCS at Reading has 38 programmes which help small and medium-sized companies access knowledge and skills within the University. It has also helped academics win awards for managing the best TCS programmes for the last two years from the Small Business Service. Commenting on the success of the scheme at Reading, TCS Centre Manager, Kate Darby said, "we offer a service that enables academics and company partners to work together. We facilitate the transfer of knowledge from the UK research community into the business environment by placing high quality graduates (TCS Associates) into a partner company on specified projects normally for a period of two years. It's one of those rare Government schemes that answers a real need in the country and provides real benefits to all involved: the company, the supervising academic and University, as well as the graduate". TCS is funded by a number of UK Government organisations and operates across the UK involving most sectors of business and relevant academic disciplines. The TCS centre generates nearly £2 million per annum across various schools for the University. A factor taken into account in the RAE results. The categories of knowledge transfer that can be covered under TCS are wide-ranging. The main criteria for a project to be considered is that the proposed knowledge transfer will enable the partner company to make a strategic advance. For more information about the University of Reading TCS centre please see their web site or contact Kate Darby. Contact Carol Derham or Sue Rayner Tel: 0118 378 8004/5