8th December 2003

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Universities can help small businesses turn their ideas into reality. That was the inspirational message from Professor Dennis McKeag of the Faculty of Engineering to a cluster of engineering firms in Dungannon.

Prof McKeag said in his University Business Fellowship lecture: “Working in partnership through generously funded schemes such as Knowledge Transfer Partnership (formerly the TCS scheme), universities and business can make innovation in product design and manufacture an achievable aim”.

He highlighted the many examples of world class innovation that have taken place in Northern Ireland based firms through the transfer of expertise and know-how from the University of Ulster.

Patricia McCarron, Manager of Regional Services at UU, said: “The potential benefits to be gained from engagement of the business community with the University are numerous. Professor McKeag and his colleagues in the Faculty of Engineering have fully embraced technology and knowledge transfer as a key feature of Faculty activity.

“Yet as a whole, University services to business are not well marketed and appreciated by those who are most in need of assistance. The Office of Innovation and Enterprise must work to combat the culture of the unknown as regards University expertise. University Knowledge Club events are an ideal mechanism to bring academia and business together”.

For further information on the Knowledge Transfer Partnership scheme e-mail ktp@ulster.ac.uk.
The Knowledge Club website is available at http://knowledgeclub.ulster.ac.uk.

For further information, please contact:

Press Office Department of Communication and Development
Telephone: 028 9036 6178
Email: pressoffice@ulster.ac.uk