Jim Knight MP, Minister for the South West, launched the Bristol and South West FutureStory project at a recent event in the at-Bristol science centre on Bristol’s harbourside. The project identifies ten building blocks that are essential for a town, city or region to succeed in the global economy, and SETsquared was highlighted as a key innovator in Bristol.

SETsquared is a collaboration between the Universities of Bath, Bristol, Southampton and Surrey. Backed by government money, it supports new technology businesses in the area. Speaking at the event, Nick Sturge, Director of the Bristol SETsquared Centre, said that universities in the UK have three areas of focus today: research, teaching and – increasingly – enterprise. He added: ‘In Bristol there is a strong desire to stimulate the local, regional and national economy through enterprise. In 2008, the Centre won an award for being the best business incubator in the UK. Bristol is a hotbed of innovation and enterprise. It is just about the right size; it’s big enough to support a range of business activities, but small enough to provide opportunities for networking. There’s a very diverse and talented population here. And what’s needed with all these new industries is innovation – ideas and the talent and skill to make them happen.’

Since the beginning of 2008, SETsquared has helped early-stage entrepreneurs raise over £44 million in debt, equity and grant funding for the 40 companies it currently supports – a feat that is highly significant given the current difficult economic times.

A full article and video on FutureStory is available online.

For more information, please contact Sadia Rooney, Research and Enterprise Development, University of Bristol, tel +44 (0)117 928 8676, email sadia.rooney@bristol.ac.uk.