A hub of activity for entrepreneurs

Teesside’s bid to be the top entrepreneurial university takes another step forward with the launch of a new initiative.

Entrepreneurs@tees has been set up to help students, staff and alumni develop their business and entrepreneurial skills.

The ‘drop-in’ style launch is on Tuesday 9 November 2010 from 11.00am to 3.00pm. It will be held in the University’s Students’ Union Hub, starting with a welcome speech from Professor Cliff Hardcastle, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Enterprise.

Professor Hardcastle said: 'We hope the entrepreneurs@tees initiative will become a student-run enterprise society supported by business-owner graduates and entrepreneurial staff.

Build on the success of our DigitalCity Fellowship scheme 'The aim is to build on the success of our DigitalCity Fellowship scheme and the new businesses we have helped to create through the University’s graduate business incubation programme.

'By bringing together enterprising students, graduates and staff we hope we can develop an environment where setting up in business is a natural career choice.' The launch of entrepreneurs@tees comes a few weeks before we find out whether it has been chosen as this year’s Times Higher Education Entrepreneurial University of the Year. (The Times Higher Awards take place on 25 November). Last year Teesside was the Times Higher’s University of the Year and also won the publication’s Outstanding Employer Engagement Award.

A vital role in the future employability and general skills of lots of our students Lori Wheatman, President of Teesside University Students’ Union said: 'We’re absolutely delighted to be working so closely with the University on a project that we’re sure will play a vital role in the future employability and general skills of lots of our students. Entrepreneurs@tees is a fantastic concept and another sign of Teesside University’s ambition to provide students with the best possible opportunities for development.'

Neil Hannah, the University’s New Business Manager and a key driver behind entrepreneurs@tees, says the 9 November event will take the form of a market place to showcase the ideas and businesses whose journey began at the University. 'It will be an excellent opportunity to meet many of the businesses and Digital City Fellowships that started up on campus since 1998,' he said.

To attend, email entrepreneurs@tees.ac.uk

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