Link-up with firms crucial to region's economy

Prof Richard Jones, Sheffield University's pro-vice chancellor for research and innovation, said the institution had a real impact on local business and its research work was "a source of genuine optimism" for Yorkshire.

He said the university was dedicated to helping businesses improve their competitiveness and productivity by partnerships with businesses. These Knowledge Transfer Partnerships allow researchers to apply their knowledge to a business problem and in return allow an organisation to access skills and expertise to help them develop.

The university currently has 32 such partnerships, the highest of any other Russell Group institution, with the exception of Queen's University Belfast.

The University's Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC), which has partnerships with many major multinationals such as Boeing and Rolls-Royce, is an outstanding business-knowledge partnership which is a model for the rest of the country. Sir Roger Bone, President of Boeing UK, was recently quoted as saying that Sheffield is one of the few universities that really understands the link between research and industrial application."

Research at the university has led to 52 spin-out companies.

Prof Jones highlighted the new Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre being led by the university and Rolls-Royce to develop

technology and staff for the next generation of nuclear power stations as an example of the impact the institution will have in future.

Sheffield University has also been chosen as a research institute for the Rail Innovation and Technology Centre to develop new technologies for Network Rail and it has also launched a 12m institute to research Motor Neurone Disease and other degenerative illnesses.

However Prof Jones added: "There is no doubt the university's most important output is the people we train.

"Sheffield University is developing graduates who have the education, motivation and innovation to apply what they have learned to real life business situations. Many of our students stay on to live and work in the region to the benefit of the economy."

Fund that boosts innovation praised

Sheffield University has been praised for the creation of a fund which allows academics to expand their own research projects.

The Proof of Concept fund awards grants of up to 10,000 to staff with "innovative concepts". The money is given to allow academics to market their idea or carry out further research.

Since it was launched in 2004, awards of 603,000 have been given to 64 different projects and led to five separate spin off companies, three licensed deals worth 100,000 and a further 9m in research grants from other bodies.