Working with the business world

One of our founding principles was a clear focus on the needs of the world outside the university. Today that focus covers a huge range of activity from Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs), which improve business competitiveness and wealth creation, to a rapidly developing business consultancy practice.

Nearly £4 million of government funding is channelled through Brookes to boost businesses and skills during challenging times – funding awarded through universities that would not have otherwise come to Oxfordshire.

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships give us the chance to apply our knowledge and expertise to the needs of both the private and the public sector.

They also give our academic staff the opportunity to gain commercial experience and to apply their knowledge and expertise to real-life business problems.

• Since 2005, Brookes has successfully completed six KTPs, with a further eight that are in progress or about to start, amounting altogether to a total value of £2 million.
• One of our most effective KTP collaborations has been with Oxford company Webmart. The project analysed Webmart’s position in the print management marketplace, identifying areas for corporate development and investment, and integrating these into Webmart’s IT systems. In March 2008 the partnership received the highest possible grade of ‘outstanding’ in a KTP assessment. Thanks to the project, sales forecasts at Webmart are projected to increase by £30 million over two years.
  

Oxford Brookes is the lead partner in CommercialiSE, a partnership of 11 universities across the South East which has supported over 200 business ideas, helped 130 potential entrepreneurs to develop their business plans and invested over £1.5 million in 36 innovative business opportunities.

Oxford Brookes also has a thriving business consultancy operation. Income from consultancy has significantly increased from £1.6 million in 2006/07 to £4.1 million in 2008/09, demonstrating strong demand for our expertise. We work across the board, supporting small and medium sized enterprises as well as large businesses.

Oxford’s economy has particular strengths in the public administration, education and health sectors, representing nearly half the workforce (compared to a quarter nationally). Not surprisingly, our business consultancy in these areas is thriving. We work closely with government agencies, charities, the NHS, local and national government and related bodies.

• The number of contracts with non-commercial organisations has increased (140 in 2007 to 304 in 2008) as has the income generated in this area (£1.2 million in 2007 to £2.9 million in 2009), showing the vital role that Brookes plays in supporting public and third sector services.

As a leading higher education institution, we see professional training for businesses as one of our most important responsibilities.

• Our Enterprise Fellowship Scheme has flourished, and many of our academic schools run continuing professional development courses. This has a huge impact not only on local and regional businesses but on individuals too, helping them to acquire new skills and, in some cases, to return to university study.

• We have seen strong demand for our professional training and development and this has created significant income for the university, reaching £3.2 million in 2009.

Research at Oxford Brookes is changing the world in many different spheres, but it is also creating valuable intellectual property (IP).

• Income from our IP has increased dramatically from £374,000 in 2003 to around £1.1 million in 2008, placing Brookes in the top 20 universities for IP-generated income and outclassing all our traditional competitors. In particular, a diagnostic test for Down’s syndrome using antibodies developed from our research now earns significant income for the university. Over the past eight years, millions of pregnant women have undertaken a diagnostic test developed at Oxford Brookes.

As well as licensing our intellectual property, we have also established spin-out businesses.

• Oxford Expression Technologies provides products, services and consultancy to the global pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries and has quickly become a centre of excellence for baculovirus protein expression.

• WildKnowledge began in 2004 as a research project examining ways to help children identify wildlife species. Hand-held devices fitted with GPS and simple keys provide a more engaging way of identifying and recording wildlife. The business was spun out from Oxford Brookes in late 2006 and received £300,000 investment. Since then, WildKnowledge has developed and launched innovative new products for the education and healthcare markets.