UNIVERSITY OF DERBY: YOUR PARTNER IN BUSINESS

The University of Derby (UoD) is not just an educational institution – as an applied university, its staff all have real-world, industry experience, and as such are excellent problem-solvers, knowledgecreators, collaborators and innovators.

Research And Innovation

UoD’s 16 research centres are well staffed, with over 500 researchers, each with access to specialist equipment.

Research, innovation and development allow business to explore new possibilities, test new ideas, and develop new products and processes that give you a competitive edge. But not every business can afford to do this in house, and that’s where the university comes in.

There is also funding on offer that makes R&D more affordable. Their Knowledge Transfer Partnership is one such example.

“The Knowledge Transfer Partnerships have been invaluable in ensuring Bloc stays at the forefront of the market,” says Keith Cox, Director of Immersive at technology firm, Bloc Digital. “The projects have significantly improved our productivity and our ability to meet our customers’ needs and the demands of the market in general.”

Talent And Recruitment

Every business can benefit from an injection of new ideas and fresh perspective – but if they can come with relevant industry experience from student and graduate talent, you’re also able to build for the future.

The university’s focus on applied learning means that students will have completed practical projects, case studies, and work placements, and have already used their knowledge to solve real business issues and problems.

done. Secondly, we’ve got ideas and insights into that particular generation, and thirdly, it’s been a source of talent with one or two folks we’ve actually liked so much we’ve taken them on board permanently.”

Whether you need short-term support, parttime or casual employees, or are looking to fill graduate level vacancies, the university could be your first port of call.

Funding

Through its involvement with several funding programmes, the university is also in the position of being able to offer support packages to businesses in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. These are predominantly designed to support SMEs in the region who want to innovate, grow, de-carbonise or upskill. The current list of programmes that funding is provided for includes:

■ Enscite – online workshops for the automotive, aerospace and rail sectors, plus their supply chains; aimed to drive productivity, efficiency and growth.

■ Help to Grow: Management – a 12-week programme supporting senior leaders to boost their business’ performance, resilience, and longterm growth. It’s 90% funded by the government.

■ SAIL (Smart And Inclusive Leadership) – aimed at supervisors, managers and aspiring leaders, teaching them to identify their unique leadership skills, and build resilience in themselves and others.

■ Invest to Grow – Grants and loans of £15k-250k for businesses of any size within the East Midlands to use for innovation, growth, and job creation.

Words by Tom Young

“Working with University of Derby interns has helped us in a number of ways,” says Richard Beevers, Director of customer experience consultancy, Customer Plus. “First of all, we’ve got projects done that I don’t think we would have

■ Productivity through Innovation – Business consultancy aiming to provide innovative solutions to business issues, with free access to research and experts, and funding for internships, graduate placements or permanent graduate roles.

■ Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) – Fixedterm R&D partnerships between your business, the university, and a recent graduate, part-funded by a government grant.

■ Sustainability grants – consultancy, technical support and funding for businesses wanting to reduce carbon emissions and increase sustainability.

■ Green Entrepreneurs Programme – A £2m grant fund – in partnership with Derbyshire County Council – for businesses outside of Derby city who are interested in developing and investing in green energy and carbon reduction schemes.

■ Free accounting advice – a student-led accounting clinic, providing free accounting and finance support, tailored to the specific requirements of the business. It’s overseen by the university’s accounting and finance experts. Find more information at derby.ac.uk/forbusiness.

These programmes can make a real difference in the success of local businesses. “It is clear that the funding from Invest to Grow provided us with the capability to significantly increase the scale of our activity,” said Dr Chris Horne, Chief Technology Officer at eco-smart technology company, myenergi. “Prior to the Invest to Grow project our annual turnover was around £600k; last year it was £3.5m.”

Training And Development

A comprehensive portfolio of training and development programmes will help your business to close skills gaps, raise standards and improve employee retention, productivity and quality. Through the university, you can be assured of high-quality learning that’s relevant to your industry, cost-effective, and compatible with your schedule.

“The time I took out each week was invaluable,” said Gurd Sohal of Aspen House Residential Care Home, who took one of the university’s leadership programmes. “It allowed me to step back and focus on the direction of the business moving forwards, including my vision for the future. I’ve found the whole experience to be really rewarding and I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending the programme to other business leaders.”

The portfolio includes workshops and development programmes, short courses and CPD (continuing professional development), practical higher and degree apprenticeships, undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, professionally approved accountancy courses, and bespoke work-based learning solutions.

Facilities And Networks

The university has a range of spaces, experts and equipment available for your business to make use of, whether that be affordable incubation units for startups, or a game-changing piece of machinery.

There’s a huge range of specialist technology available to be shared with the local community, including the Rail Research and Innovation Centre, iLabs (which has equipment for manufacturing, prototyping, virtual reality and data visualisation), the sports science Human Performance Unit, and a Scanning Electron Microscope, which can be used by a range of sciences.

There’s also several thriving, entrepreneurial environments where businesses can collaborate with others. These range from business lounges to studio spaces, to The Innovation Centre in Chesterfield or Enterprise Centre in Derby.