EDUCATION

FALMOUTH UNIVERSITY BRINGS £100M TO THE CORNISH ECONOMY.

recent economic impact assessment has revealed that Falmouth University contributes the equivalent of £100m to the local economy, with the University responsible for generating £1 in every £109 of economic activity in Cornwall.

The report shows that Falmouth acts as an economic anchor, keeping skilled and talented young people in the region, while fostering bold new start-ups and supporting established Cornish businesses.

Launchpad Outreach, which is funded by HMRC and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), aims to increase the growth capability of businesses by improving productivity, growth and to create jobs in a sustainable manner within local, national and international markets.

Utilising Falmouth’s professional level resources and insider knowledge of the creative industries, the fully funded Launchpad Outreach programme provides consultancy to explore new market opportunities, as well as the creation of new products and services.

TWO PROGRAMMES IN PARTICULAR – LAUNCHPAD OUTREACH AND IMMERSIVE BUSINESS – HAVE BEEN DESIGNED TO SUPPORT SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES IN CORNWALL

Falmouth is currently supporting businesses by providing market research reports, exploring customer trends and competitor analysis. Businesses taking part in the programme can also gain access to the university’s inhouse product design consultant, offering support such as computer-assisted design modelling and prototyping. There are also opportunities to take part in Falmouth’s Student Placement Scheme and to even access time with industry experts where appropriate.

The Immersive Business programme, funded by ERDF and led by Falmouth University in collaboration with The University of Exeter, is a business accelerator designed to enable small and medium-sized businesses in Cornwall to compete nationally and globally through the development and use of innovative immersive technology.

Eligible businesses can gain access to a programme of events, workshops, collaborative innovation spaces and labs to explore how they could benefit from immersive technologies. Businesses can also benefit from access to expert technical and academic support and advice, as well as product-development support and a digital transformation toolkit.

The wAVE (Augmented & Virtual Experiences) project is an excellent example of how Falmouth is supporting the heritage sector in Cornwall. Working with the Cornwall Museums Partnership and five museums (Telegraph Museum Porthcurno; Castle Heritage Centre, Bude; St Agnes Museum; Isles of Scilly Museum and the Old Guildhall Museum & Gaol, Looe) Falmouth’s researchers are bringing local heritage to life, appealing to new audiences by embracing creative immersive technologies.

Professor Anne Carlisle, OBE, Falmouth University ViceChancellor says: “Helping to drive Cornwall’s economic growth is a key strategic objective for the University and I am delighted that these new visitor experiences using future technologies will support five communities to access higher value and year-round tourism markets and offer a model that is replicable elsewhere.”

TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT FALMOUTH AND HOW IT’S INVESTING IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY, GO TO: WWW.FALMOUTH.AC.UK/ABOUT TO SEE WHETHER YOUR BUSINESS COULD BENEFIT FROM THE LAUNCHPAD OUTREACH PROGRAMME, GO TO: WWW.FALMOUTH.AC.UK/ LAUNCHPAD-OUTREACH

WORLD-CLASS AND OUTSTANDING.

The University of Exeter is a world-class, research intensive university and a member of the Russell Group providing gold-standard education at campuses in Cornwall and Devon. It is also a world-leader on environment, climate and sustainability research, courses and partnerships.

According to a recent Reuters list, the University of Exeter has the UK’s five most influential climate scientists - all in the top 21 in the world. For more than twenty years the university has been leading the way in research and education to address climate and environmental change. By mobilising its environmental expertise of over 500 researchers and professionals, the university is seeking to accelerate global action in partnership with governments, businesses and communities.

In 2021, the university launched a ‘Green Futures’ campaign to drive action on the environment and climate emergency ahead of the G7 in Cornwall and COP26 in Glasgow. The Green Futures campaign demonstrates how the University of Exeter is collaborating with businesses, influencing national and international policy, and working with communities to co-create solutions.

Truro and Penwith College is officially recognised as one of the best tertiary further education Colleges in the country. Ofsted awarded the College ‘Outstanding’ status as a result of its inspection in 2016, the first college in the country to retain its Outstanding status under the new framework.

It is the best performing state A Level provider in Cornwall and one of the highest performing colleges nationally on all courses at all levels. Students can choose from a huge range of A Levels, T Levels, the IB Diploma, vocational courses and apprenticeships, all taught by highlyqualified, specialist educators.

In 2017 the college opened Callywith College in Bodmin as a third campus for 16-18-year-olds in north Cornwall. In January 2020, Callywith College too was awarded Ofsted Outstanding status and continues to develop its provision and facilities.

Focussed on the future, Truro and Penwith College opened its new South West Institute of Technology building in March 2020 as the only education partner in Cornwall to be a part of this exciting STEM partnership. The £7 million Valency building houses the very latest in Engineering facilities including virtual welding environments and specialist mechatronic equipment for students to use.

The building is also home to the College’s new ESF funded project, Cornwall Space and Aerospace Technology Training, designed to research and establish quality education for those wanting to enter the space and aeronautic industries.

In March 2022, the College will open its new STEM and Health Skills Centre at Bodmin, giving the scientists, engineers, health professionals and technologists of the future an Outstanding start to their career ambitions.

The positive and nurturing environment, combined with world-class facilities and exceptional tutors, provides students with the best opportunity to achieve their educational goals.