Sweet taste of business success for minister

Jonathan Shaw MP, Minister for the South-East, and Rob Douglas CBE, the new Chairman of the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) visited the University of Greenwich at Medway to get a taste of the services which the university has on offer to help local businesses through the recession.

They enjoyed a sample of fudge from Fudge Kitchen in Canterbury which the university assisted through a government-funded Knowledge Transfer Partnership. The expertise of food scientists helped the confectioners to develop a new recipe which enabled them to prolong the shelf life of their fudge and develop new product lines. The duo also met university researcher Dr Paula Carey who has set up a spin out company in the region, Carbon 8, to develop a revolutionary process with the potential to clean up contaminated soil and industrial waste and to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, producing harmless pebbles which can be recycled as a construction material.

The Minister, who is also MP for Chatham & Aylesford, and Rob Douglas also heard about other examples of the way in which the University of Greenwich at Medway is supporting growth and economic development in Medway and Kent including training for Pfizer in Sandwich, use of the university’s rapid prototyping facility by Delphi Diesel Systems in Gillingham and the partnership between Greenwich and the engineering manufacturer Renishaw. Together with collaborations such as the Professor of Bridge & Tunnel Engineering sponsored by the Rochester Bridge Trust.

The University of Greenwich was the first university establish itself in Medway, moving into the area in 1994. The latest student figures returned to SEEDA show that Greenwich has around half of the student numbers attending the Universities at Medway.

Jonathan Shaw said: "Universities, supported by the Regional Development Agencies, can play a key role in strengthening Britain's economy.

"The University of Greenwich, among the Medway universities, provides a catalyst for economic development, enterprise and job creation in the area, and more widely, across Kent.

"The universities are credited with raising aspirations and more local people are achieving degrees and higher education qualifications. These aspirations and skills will be crucial to the ability of Medway, Kent and the wider South East region to take full advantage of the recovery.''

Professor Tom Barnes, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research & Enterprise), Dr Martin Davies, Director of Greenwich Research & Enterprise, and Professor Alan Reed, Director of Regional Liaison (Kent & Medway) took part in the visit.

To find out more about the support that the University of Greenwich can provide business and discuss your needs further, please contact Greenwich Research & Enterprise at 020 8331 7867 or enterprise@gre.ac.uk or consult the GRE website http://enterprise.gre.ac.uk

For further information, contact:
Nick Davison
Public Relations
University of Greenwich
Tel: 020 8331 8092