University Campus Suffolk (UCS) has joined forces with the business to university support service, i10, to increase the wealth of academic expertise available to businesses in Suffolk and across the East of England.

i10 operates as a single point of contact for businesses who want to find out how they can benefit from the thousands of talented people, wealth of knowledge, cutting-edge technologies and world-class research services available at the region's universities and colleges.

Ralph Ecclestone, i10 project manager, said: "We are delighted that UCS has joined the i10 network of universities and colleges.  There are many different ways in which universities can support businesses; including research and development projects, providing expert advice on key technical issues or placing students or graduates within a company.

"Our services are designed to help businesses find the academic expertise or facilities they require.  The addition of UCS to the i10 team has further strengthened the wide range of expertise and facilities which we are able to signpost businesses to."

University Campus Suffolk was launched in August 2007 following a 12-year community campaign to deliver the benefits of a university presence to the county.  The campus, a subsidiary company of the University of East Anglia and the University of Essex, has a central hub at a stunning new building on Ipswich Waterfront as well as key learning centres across Suffolk including colleges in Bury St Edmunds, Ipswich, Lowestoft and Otley and also in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk.

Dr Peter Funnell, Director of Enterprise and Executive Dean at University Campus Suffolk, said: "UCS will both complement and add value to the existing i10 higher education establishments.  We are keen to ensure that UCS becomes an active and supportive partner in encouraging and facilitating the engagement of students and staff with employers across the region both to support competitiveness and individual achievement.  Joining forces with i10 provides us with another important opportunity to achieve these goals. 

"Businesses will be able to use i10's services to tap into the capabilities and expertise of our staff, benefit from the enthusiasm and drive of our students, and gain fresh insights and new ways of tackling business issues."

UCS has already worked on a number of business and community support projects. The UCS Centre for Design Innovation (CDI) which employs new-media technology in research-focused communication design has worked in partnership with commercial and public sector organisations on innovative design projects.  Using image, motion graphics, and 3D modelling, the centre seeks virtual design solutions for abstract concepts.  For the Heritage Lottery Funded Christchurch Park Restoration Project, the CDI has explored integrated media representations of historically lost features of Christchurch Park including the Ice House and the Parterre Gardens. 

As the latest addition to the i10 network, these types of collaboration projects are likely to increase and develop.  Dr Funnell added: "At UCS we are committed to collaborative activity as it was productive collaborative arrangements with businesses and public sector organisations that have shaped and informed the development of UCS itself."

Businesses interested in the benefits of working with universities such as UCS should visit i10's website.  Here, businesses can access online services such as Ask i10 which posts enquiries from businesses to experts within the i10 network of universities and to the i10 business development teams based at universities and colleges across the region. Businesses can also contact i10's business development team on 0845 234 2314.