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£100,000 funding is serious business for University research centre

A University of Kent research centre has been awarded £100,000 worth of funding to enable it to develop even closer ties with the business community.

The award to the Centre for Employment, Competitiveness and Growth - one of the key research centres based at the University's Kent Business School - was made by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), as part of the latter's business engagement scheme.

The government-funded scheme provides greater opportunities for academics and researchers to work alongside businesses and to share knowledge and skills, with the aim of improving productivity and efficiency in British businesses.

The Centre now aims to provide increased support and advice for companies in Kent and Medway through an online business forum, a range of University-based leadership and management workshops and an increased programme of networking opportunities.

The Centre will also work in partnership with several organisations - including the Federation of Small Businesses, Business Link and global consultancy Telos Partners - in order to offer greater support to micro businesses (those employing ten or fewer people) and to develop improved management practices and business performance models.

Simon Raby, Research Associate for the Centre for Employment, Competitiveness and Growth, said the business engagement scheme would benefit those organisations which aimed to be ultra-competitive in the marketplace. 'The most important factor for companies seeking superior performance is the ability of its people to respond and adapt to change. I'm sure that this funding will help us put together our best package of activities to date, allowing the University to share knowledge and ideas with employers at an unprecedented level,' he said.

Earlier this year the Centre launched its Promoting Sustainable Performance (PSP) project, aimed at enhancing the business performance of 300 companies throughout Kent. Led by Dr Mark Gilman, Director of the Centre, the project offers in-depth research into a company's strengths and weaknesses, via detailed case studies, face-to-face interviews and data analysis.

The organisation has also changed its name from the Centre for Regional Business Productivity and boasts a redesigned website.

Dr Gilman, a Senior Lecturer for Kent Business School, said the new name reflected the national and international nature of the research activities taking place at the Centre. 'Our focus has always been on the competitive advantage generated through highly-skilled, highly-trained people. Our new name reflects the wider effects of our work on competitiveness and growth in the business world,' he said.

Contact: N.J.Ellwood@kent.ac.uk

Story published at 11:00am 9 April 2008