REACHING THE NEXT LEVEL UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL LANCASHIRE
Experts at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) in Preston have provided tailored support to hundreds of local SMEs in recent times.
Businesses have benefited from access to state-of-the-art facilities, such as its £35m Engineering Innovation Centre, collaborating with leading research staff, and engaging with the brightest student and graduate talent.
The university also works to be a catalyst for economic growth, providing a vast range of business support under the leadership of its business school, the Lancashire School of Business and Enterprise.
Its Centre for SME and Enterprise Development (CSME) has also been a big success story, providing local business leaders with opportunities to connect, collaborate and share best practice.
Its thriving 1,400-strong membership is growing all the time, with members benefiting from tailored business advice, development events and networking opportunities all year round.
UCLan says the CSME epitomises its commitment to being an “outstanding, sector-leading entrepreneurial institution” looking to foster a more productive and innovative SME sector in Lancashire.
CSME has already delivered funding from external sources to the value of £10m in business support projects and is on track to assist and grow more than 1,000 SMEs in the county.
In 2020-21 alone, UCLan supported some 529 SMEs through fully funded initiatives, adding £15m Gross Value Added (GVA) and helping create 116 jobs.
This was made possible thanks to funding totalling £31.2m to support Lancashire-
based SMEs. UCLan currently has 14 projects ongoing, focusing on everything from upskilling leaders to new product design, becoming investment ready, and reducing carbon and energy usage.
In addition, its Propeller Hub, which is a co-working space at the centre, offers mentoring and incubation space for start-up businesses, with a hot desk on campus costing £40 per month.
Sue Smith, Professor of innovation and enterprise, says: “SMEs are the backbone of our country’s economy and universities like ourselves have much to offer across all sectors.
“Adding demonstrable value to the region’s SMEs and supporting student enterprise are key priorities that we are committed to as a civic university and anchor institution.”
Championing student enterprise is seen as another UCLan strength. Last year it was named top university in the north of England
for helping students and graduates set up and run their own successful companies.
Through its ‘Propeller’ service the university has given formal enterprise support to more than 850 new businesses, including sole traders, over the last six years.
Professor Chris Pyke, executive dean of the Lancashire School of Business and Enterprise, says: “Enterprise runs through everything we do. Helping the entrepreneurs of tomorrow is part of our legacy. To be top in the north really shows our commitment to our students and their futures.”
UCLan’s business and management research has also been ranked amongst the UK’s top 20 per cent for world-leading impact in the recently published Research Excellence Framework results.
This includes research undertaken at the centre alongside seven other northern universities to develop a set of hybrid working principles for SMEs.
LANCASHIREBUSINESSVIEW.CO.UK
57
UNIVERSITIES
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76
