Sharing University knowledge with business

Three Business Development Managers have been appointed by the University of Teesside to help share the knowledge and expertise within the University with the business world.

The appointments follow the University's successful bid for a £3 million grant from the Higher Education Innovation Fund (HEIF) last year to support its enterprise strategy.

Specifically, the new Business Development Managers will work with the University’s Centre for Enterprise & the Academic Schools and with the business community to encourage more collaborative activities and applied research projects.

They are pictured left to right, Tim Brunton, Judith Brown and Geoff Archer.

Tim Brunton will look after the School of Computing and the School of Arts & Media. He worked in the construction industry before studying Interior Architecture and Design at Teesside and joining the University's Virtual Reality Centre. He went on to manage the Digital Knowledge Exchange, established as part of the HEIF award. He said: “Teesside University has some of the finest creative and technical talent walking its corridors and I see both Schools as being pivotal in the development of the creative industries quarter here in Middlesbrough.”

Judith Brown has responsibility for the School of Social Sciences & Law and Teesside Business School. She is keen to establish strong external relationships with small-medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and the social enterprise sector and will also work closely with the voluntary, community and the public sectors. She has worked in the manufacturing and service sectors and for local government in community economic development. Her recent projects included writing a Regional Sustainable Development Framework for the North East Regional Assembly.

Geoff Archer will look after the School of Science & Technology and the School of Health & Social Care in terms of their academic -business interface. He has 15 years of experience of research and development, focusing on food science and nanotechnology and formerly managed the North West Food Centre in Manchester.

He has first-hand experience of the rewards and difficulties of protecting, developing and commercialising inventions after founding a small limited company to commercialise an innovative electronic kitchen gadget.

For further information contact the Centre for Enterprise on 01642 384577 or cfe@tees.ac.uk.

---