Introduction to Midlands Innovation

Sue Clayton

Project Manager

Midlands Innovation Universities of Aston, Birmingham, Leicester, Loughborough,

Nottingham and Warwick.

A world-class university research and innovation partnership, pooling the collective excellence of universities in the Midlands to drive growth across the region.

Individually we are strong, with world class research, testing and training facilities. Together we are stronger, playing a significant role in stimulating economic growth.

Midlands Innovation

Midlands Innovation

Research Excellence

Running for a number of years. Activities:

Online regional equipment catalogue (records of 797 items) Technical Managers Forum and Technical Skills Network Conferences:

Biomedical imaging Advanced Manufacturing Conference Planned event on Photonics

How it is evolving: Changing political landscape Changing landscape of university collaboration Increased regional consortium profile

Partnership

Partnership Regional university collaboration is changing. Other national collaborations

Political agendaThe government invites universities to develop proposals for

supporting local collaboration, building on successful university collaborative partnership models such as the N8, M6 and GW4, to

be supported through funding streams such as the next 400 million round of the Research Partnership Investment Fund, and

will set out further details at the Spending Review. George Osbourne, Summer 2015 Budget

Principles of the Midlands Innovation partnership

1. The role of Midlands Innovation is to create collaborative research, innovation and training partnerships that will deliver an outcome above that of a single institutional effort.

2. The six universities are the core members of the partnership. 3. Midlands Innovation collaborates with other institutions through research and

innovation projects where partners have world class capability to contribute.4. All six Midlands Innovation members should consent to a project being branded as a

Midlands Innovation project, but not all six need participate. (Usually we would think of a minimum threshold of three.)

5. The lead University for each research, innovation or training programme is determined on a project by project basis, according to the specific requirements of the project or funding call.

Where we collaborate Equipment sharing:

Kit-Catalogue was named winner of the 2012 S-Lab Award for Laboratory Equipment and Services and was shortlisted for the Outstanding ICT Project of the Year at the Times Higher Education awards

Energy through the Energy Research Accelerator

ESRC Doctoral Training Partnerships Science & Innovation Audit High Performance Computing Technicians Forum Flow Cytometry Midlands Engine for Growth Transport

What is next...

Identifying new areas for collaboration Re-forming the equipment sharing activities Supporting current developing initiatives

ERA HPC Midlands Engine for Growth

Transport ESRC DTP

Developing a pipeline of collaborative project ideas Supporting the Technicians Forum May 2017 @ University of

Warwick

http://midlandsinnovation.org.uk/

Midlands Engine for Growth Idea from the Chancellor (akin to Northern Powerhouse) 10 LEP regions, ~ 75 Local Authorities. Prospectus launched on 4th December by Sajid Javid. Priorities: transport, access to finance, skills, innovation, promotion Innovation: transport, engineering, agri-food, healthcare & life

sciences, creative & digital Opportunity to highlight economic role of the universities and register

collaborative concepts.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/482247/midlands-engine-for-growth.pdf

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/482247/midlands-engine-for-growth.pdf

Science and Innovation Audits

Midlands Engine awarded one of first round of audits. Focused on the innovation themes from the prospectus. Audits are focused on research excellence and its links to

innovation on the ground. Audits will be a combination of state-of-the-art data science and

one-the-ground local data and knowledge. Audits will give government a list of where regions are strong and

investment may follow. Submitted 23/9/16

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/475097/BIS-15-537-science-and-innovation-audits-call-and-guidance.pdf

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/475097/BIS-15-537-science-and-innovation-audits-call-and-guidance.pdf

h.turner@nottingham.ac.uk Dr Helen Turner Directorsue.clayton@Nottingham.ac.uk Sue Clayton Project Manager

ellen.mcghee@Nottingham.ac.uk Ellen McGhee Executive AssistantTwitter: #InnovationMids

Web: http://midlandsinnovation.org.uk/

mailto:h.turner@nottingham.ac.ukmailto:sue.clayton@Nottingham.ac.ukmailto:ellen.mcghee@Nottingham.ac.ukhttp://midlandsinnovation.org.uk/