Lancaster University Shortlisted in Times Higher Education Awards 2008

Lancaster University has been shortlisted for its Outstanding Contribution to Innovation and Technology at the forthcoming Times Higher Education Awards 2008, out of a record number of entries from 140 institutions. This is in recognition of both the Lancaster Environment Centre's and Infolab21's business outreach programme.

Both Knowledge Business Centres provide accommodation to enable collaboration with new commercial ventures, established companies and larger corporate partners, providing a much more diverse community than that found in traditional incubators. The total number of collaborating companies on campus now stands at over 50.

The Director of Business and Enterprise Partnerships at LEC, Mark Bacon, said: “The KBC strategy provides a rare model for innovation in higher education, supported by HEFCE’s survey of the sector’s business interactions, which records Lancaster as netting £1.5 million in consultancy income from working with SMEs, (the 6th largest amount of income from such activity of any HEI), arising out of 879 collaborations (the 4th highest number of collaborations). In large measure these impressive statistics are the result of our KBC strategy and their student-enabled knowledge exchange programmes.”

The Times Higher Education Awards, now in their fourth year, aim to recognise the ground-breaking work undertaken by UK higher education institutions. Categories include Best Student Experience, University of the Year, Outstanding Student Financial Support Package, Outstanding Contribution to the Local Community, Marketing Initiative of the Year and Outstanding Support for Disabled Students.

Ann Mroz, Editor, Times Higher Education, commented: “The Awards recognise the very best in higher education in the UK and we are delighted to announce that Lancaster University has made it onto the shortlist for Outstanding Contribution to Innovation and Technology. Our senior advisory panel has been taken from all fields of academia and had to choose from hundreds of first-class entries – only the best made it through to our shortlist.”

Winners will be announced at the awards ceremony, held at Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane, London, on Thursday 23 October 2008.