Wishlist for Community

78. Three Universities doing research and development and applying it locally

• Initiatives are already in place for Leicestershires threee Universities to work closely with businesses both locally and nationwide.
• De Montfort University's Institute of Creative Technology (IOCT) is a unique research environment which sits at the intersection of science and technology, the arts and the humanities.
• It comprises a network of Research Centres and Groups embedded in the Faculties of De Montfort University. Since its launch in September 2006 it has initiated over 100
• interdisciplinary and collaborative projects worth over £6 million and carried out by more than 90 researchers.
• Actively engaging with local industry,IOCT have close relationships with several large companies, SMEs, and government organisations.
• Three Universities for Business - Prospect Leicestershire collaborates with Leicestershire's three universities to promote the excellent research and development projects that continue to take place and to raise awareness of the benefits to local business community of working with the universites.
• Knowledge Transfer Partnerships - (KTP) is a Government-funded initiative to build collaborative partnerships between businesses and universities to strengthen the competitiveness and wealth creation of the UK by stimulating innovation in industry through collaborative partnerships. Companies identify a problem which is preventing them from making progress. A two-year project designed to come up with a solution. Graduates, work within the company, but are supported by personnel in the university and in the business. A Government grant assists with project costs.  All three universities have been involved in several keynote KTP projects.