University joins SETsquared partnership to boost research led economic growth

Exeter joins the partnership’s founder members – the Universities of Bath, Bristol, Southampton and Surrey – which have ten years’ experience of creating economic benefits from academic research. Over the last five years, it has supported around 650 companies, raised more than £150m in capital and created over 1,000 jobs.

The partnership supports new businesses – both university spin-outs and externally – through its business incubation and acceleration centres, provides support on intellectual property and IT licensing and access to industry specialists. It also works with established industry partners through research collaboration and consultancy. Between them, the 7,000 plus academics at the five universities are responsible for nearly nine per cent of the UK’s research budget.

Keith Robson, Chair of the SETsquared Management Group, said: “In these lean economic times, it is essential that our academic institutions maximise their contribution to the wider economy and expanding our membership will support this goal.

“Exeter is an institution that produces outstanding research and is strongly engaged with its regional business community. It will be an excellent fit with SETsquared’s existing members.”

Sean Fielding, Director of Research and Knowledge Transfer at the University of Exeter, said: “SETsquared is the leading university enterprise collaboration in the UK and we can achieve more working together than we can alone. Joining widens our reach.  It will help us to share best practice, to be more efficient, and to deliver better services and networks to our incubating companies and industry partners.”

Sean Fielding has joined SETsquared’s Management Group. Professor Nick Talbot, the University of Exeter’s Deputy Vice Chancellor for Research and Knowledge Transfer, will be joining SETsquared’s Executive Board.