Business and Academia Alliance Celebrated – University of Reading
11 May 2007The CommercialiSE programme, of which the University of Reading is a successful partner, is to celebrate the increase in the number of partnership between the worlds of business and academia at a showcase event next week.
The success stories will be highlighted at Kempton Park Racecourse on Tuesday 15 May 2007 with an Introduction by the Science and Innovation Minister, Malcolm Wickes. The afternoon will include an expert panel discussion on all aspects of commercialising and supporting new enterprises. Representatives from three successful companies will be present to talk about their experiences.
The scheme builds stronger links between universities and SMEs (small and medium enterprises), and encourages entrepreneurship and innovation in the academic community through proof of concept and seed funding, supported by business training, mentoring and an executives register.
Professor Niranjan, of the University of Reading, used proof of concept funding to develop novel multi-compartment packaging for salads. Professor Niranjan said: 'Without proof of the multi-pack concept it would be very difficult to attract commercial interest in the technology. Now we are talking to companies about licensing opportunities.'
CommercialiSE is a is a collaborative partnership between 11 universities: Brighton, Buckinghamshire Chilterns, Chichester, Cranfield, Greenwich, Kent, Kingston, Oxford Brookes, Portsmouth, Reading and Sussex.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
1. Journalists and photographers are invited to the showcase event, which is on Tuesday 15 May 2007, 1.00 – 4.15 pm, in the Premier Suite, Kempton Park Racecourse, Sunbury-on-Thames, Middlesex. For more information please contact Jolanda Tudgey on 01865 484253. For general information about CommercialiSE, go to www.commercialise.org.uk
2. For University of Reading media enquiries please contact James Barr, Press Assistant on 0118 3787115 or email j.w.barr@reading.ac.uk