Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
University linkages: nearly 70 % of the companies on the Park have links of some
form with the University of Surrey. These range from soft links that include
attending training courses, using University facilities including the library, and
using students for project work, to hard links that include formal research contract,
co-purchase of equipment, and running Knowledge Transfer Partnerships.
17
Funded through the University's Research and Enterprise Unit with Higher
Innovation Fund (HEIF) money the University runs pre-incubators (SET Squared
and ISIC) which have created pathways for entrepreneurs looking to develop their
ideas into commercial enterprise.
Staff and student transfers: since the park was established there have been a
number of members of faculty that have been recruited by companies on the Park
and conversely some current members of faculty have been recruited from the
companies on the Park. A high proportion of tenant companies on the site employ
University of Surrey graduates.
In addition to knowledge transfer from the University to business there are a
number of other examples of knowledge transfer from other ''discovery'' organ-
isations in the region into successful technology companies. Examples of these are
set out in the Table
4
.
Technology transfer—success factors:
University of Surrey's research rating: the quality and reputation of the University
of Surrey as a research university has been instrumental in delivering the potential
for companies building working relationships with the University. The University
has a good overall research activity rating. In 2011 it improved its position from 33
out of 116 institutions in the UK to 28th position. In 2008 the government's
Research Assessment Exercise indicated that 88 % of Surrey's research activity
was rated either 'world class' or 'internationally recognised' with four areas of
research activity in the top ten and a total of nine areas ranked in the top 20. The
activities of 425 researchers from across all four faculties were submitted in 14
subject areas. Results show that almost half of Surrey's assessed research staff
work in areas that have been ranked in the top ten. Fifty-five percent of Surrey's
units of assessment were rated as 'internationally excellent' or 'world class', with
a further 44 % ranked as 'recognised either nationally or internationally'.
18
The government's Research Assessment Exercise has been replaced by the
Research Excellence Framework. To improve its level of excellence the University
of Surrey established a research strategy in 2011 which runs to 2017.
19
The
strategic decision has been made to improve the ranking of the University in the
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