Invest NI Backs Business Partnerships

Over 50 representatives from industry and academia recently attended an Invest Northern Ireland briefing session on its business-led collaboration programme.

The programme aims to enable local companies to address global market opportunities across a range of sectors, through collaboration between companies and academia.

Speaking at the information event, Tracy Meharg, Invest NI's Managing Director of Innovation and Capability Development, said: "This programme is designed to stimulate collaborative projects, inspired by the Northern Ireland science and technology base, which will exploit innovative processes, products and ideas that are yet to find applications in a recognised market or business sector.

"Invest Northern Ireland is inviting expressions of interest from industry-led, technology inspired collaborative networks who have identified medium to long-term market opportunities they wish to exploit."

Invest NI will support projects up to a maximum of 50% of eligible costs, to a value of £250,000. The purpose of the funding is to support facilitation of the collaborative networks over the project period, typically two to three years.

Matched funding can be contributed by the network members, either by cash or via salaried contribution. The closing date for applications is 16 January 2012.

Speaking on behalf of the Northern Ireland Science Industry Panel, MATRIX, Bryan Keating said: "Collaborative networks have a very important contribution to make to Northern Ireland’s technology and knowledge based economy over the coming decade.

"Invest NI’s business-led collaboration programme will enable network members to maximise the science and technology capabilities in Northern Ireland across Life and Health Science, Advanced Engineering, Advanced Materials, Agri Food, ICT and Telecoms."

See: www.investni.com/collaborativenetwork

(BMcC)