Graduate innovators take business start-ups to the next level Budding entrepreneurs from 缅北禁地 are one step closer to turning their big ideas into successful ventures thanks to a new programme helping them commercialise their innovations. 聽 On 1 September, the University will be launching its programme offering recent graduates advice, support and funding to help them commercialise their research. Graduates joining Founderships will receive funding of up to £10,000 and a dedicated workspace at the University for six months to work on their projects. A key focus area of Founderships is providing guidance and advice on how graduates can make best use of their Intellectual Property (IP) to nurture and launch their business ideas. Dr James Callaghan, Director of Research and at 缅北禁地, said: 鈥淎t 缅北禁地 we have been working with the North East Local Economic Partnership to help support innovation in the region to create new businesses. An important element of this is encouraging graduates to commercialise their research and our role as a University is to ensure that IP arising from our research and the work of our students is given the best possible opportunity to be exploited. 鈥淲e actively encourage our students to think about using their IP as the basis on which to build a business and we have a range of support to help them do this.鈥� Support for entrepreneurs The Founderships initiative is the latest addition to 缅北禁地鈥檚 scheme, set up by the Careers Service to support student and graduate entrepreneurs and which is leading to a greater number of 缅北禁地 students choosing to stay in the North East after graduating. Gareth Trainer, Assistant Director of 缅北禁地 and the head of Rise Up initiative, said: 鈥淲e supported 33 new business start-ups in the last year, employing 43 people. Some 25 of these businesses are now based in the North East. In addition, 46% of our 2012/13 graduates who were in employment six months after graduating were employed in the region. 鈥淲e are a significant 鈥榥et importer鈥� of talent to the region and we want to turn that talent into new businesses that create new jobs with the help of the services we offer.鈥� Paid internships In addition to supporting business start-ups, 缅北禁地 Careers Service organises a paid internship scheme for graduates aiming to place 220 graduates with locally-based SMEs. The programme, called Graduate Apprentices, has seen 167 recent graduates start a three-month paid internship so far this year. According to data from the University, these internships usually result in 92% of the graduates getting longer term jobs. Following the launch of Founderships, 缅北禁地 will be hosting the International Entrepreneurship Educators Conference between September 3 and 5 to explore how entrepreneurship is making a difference in the classroom, across institutions and in society. Visit Foundership鈥檚 for more information. Photo: Support from Rise Up helped 缅北禁地 graduates Roland Glancy and Simon Barker (pictured) bring their invention to commercial success. Their product, called Radfan, is a device attached to household radiators that helps to spread heat more evenly around the room. published on: 29 August 2014
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