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North East universities join UK ?Ivy League?

Two North East universities are joining with six others from the north of England to create a network of virtual research centres to help drive business and technological development in the region.

The £6m virtual research centre project, funded by the Northern Way Initiative, will see business come together with academics from Newcastle, Durham, Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, York, Sheffield, and Lancaster universities to develop research in 5 key areas: energy, sustainable water use, ageing and related health issues, regenerative medicine, and molecular engineering. Substantial support for the project is also being provided by the universities themselves.

It is thought to be the first time in the UK that a group of universities have formed a jointly-held company, specifically to work together and do deals with business. Teams of researchers from each of the eight northern universities (known as the N8 group) will work on programmes jointly developed from discussions with business and industry.

Professor David Secher, Chief Executive of the N8 universities, said: “This is an exciting and innovative initiative. By harnessing the research talent across the North, and by working closely with business, there is a real opportunity to make a global impact in these five important areas. All five areas are also of enormous socio-economic and public interest.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .