The state of the relationship between universities and businesses: analysis demonstrates resilient and long-term growth
Examining the resilience of university business collaboration, the NCUB's annual flagship report, the 'State of the Relationship' was published today. The report demonstrates resilient and long-term growth in most forms and indicators of collaboration, but identify space for improvement, as the number of SME interactions, whilst growing over the last year, will take further effort to achieve sustained growth.
Dr Joe Marshall, Chief Executive of the National Centre for Universities and Business (NCUB), said: "...collaborations and partnerships between universities and businesses reached their highest level since the pandemic began. Despite a tumultuous year, fuelled by rising inflation, supply chain issues, skill shortages and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, university-business partnerships remained resilient in 2021/22. Interactions have not only stabilised but are actively regaining momentum following the Covid-19 pandemic, despite the challenging financial climate. In real terms this amounts to a £129m increase from the previous year.”
The outcomes of several SME-university collaborations are showcased through case studies, and includes comments on the evolving role of konfer in driving up SME engagement.