New university group offers 'big' support to local business

The University of Greenwich at Medway and leading business support organisations are joining forces to help local companies and entrepreneurs take advantage of more commercial, research and development opportunities.

The university, in partnership with Thames Gateway Chamber of Commerce, Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce and Business Link in Kent, is launching BIG – the Business Innovation Group.

BIG will bring together business people from across a wide range of sectors, including manufacturing, engineering and technology, with university research and development teams.

The group will be aiming to help large and small companies explore new opportunities for public sector contracts and funding, commercial ventures and collaborative research and development programmes – including those being generated by the London Games in 2012 and its proposed legacy.

“We are working in partnership with business experts from Business Link and key support networks to ensure that local companies can gain maximum benefit from the commercial opportunities opening up in the preparation for the Games,” said Dr Steve Woodhead, Director of Research & Enterprise for the School of Engineering.

“We will be offering expert advice from professional business advisers and our own experts on how to bid and pitch for contracts as well as being kept informed of the opportunities as they become available.

“And we will be able to demonstrate how local companies and entrepreneurs can take advantage of the tremendous range of business support services available through the University of Greenwich at Medway which include the research and development capabilities at our School of Engineering and our School of Science.

“Most importantly, however, we are aiming to bring people with common interests together so that they can discuss and share the business issues they are facing and, where possible, come together to develop solutions."

A programme of BIG meetings and events is currently being drawn up. For further information, please refer to the website

www.big-kent.org.uk or contact Dr Pal Kulandaivel, Business Development Manager at Greenwich Research & Enterprise, tel: 01634 883912 email: kp32@gre.ac.uk 

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For interview opportunities and further media information, please contact:

• University of Greenwich Public Relations, tel: 020 8331 9420

• Delphine Houlton, Richard Coleman or Georgette McCready, at Maxim, tel: 01892 513033