Enterprise specialists from Kent Business School (KBS) highlighted their success in supporting regional businesses when they met Lord Young, the Prime Minister’s enterprise advisor, at 10 Downing Street on 23 July.
Led by Professor Martin Meyer, the new Director of KBS, the University team discussed the role university business schools can play in working with small and medium-sized enterprises to encourage innovation and growth.
The visit was a result of KBS being cited in a report earlier this year by the Association of Business Schools as an example of best practice. The report highlighted KBS’ series of Business Executive Forum networking events in particular.
Professor Meyer said: ‘Supporting enterprise and sustainable business is at the heart of KBS’ mission. It was excellent therefore to have been recognised in the report for our external engagement and to have had this opportunity to share our ideas and plans with Lord Young.
‘Lord Young explained he was on a “pilgrimage” to see examples of how the best business schools can engage with their business community and how they support student enterprise.
‘He said Canterbury was a fitting place to visit as part of that pilgrimage and that later in the year he planned to attend one of KBS’ Business Executive Forums and possibly the annual Enterprise Day we run for our students. This will provide Lord Young with the opportunity to meet with the School’s business partners and budding student entrepreneurs and raise their awareness of some of the new Government schemes available to support small businesses and start-ups.’
Among a number of KBS innovation initiatives discussed with Lord Young was its Business Improvement and Growth (BIG) programme, designed to support owner-managers of small businesses, as well as examples of enterprise support provided to students and increasing collaboration with the regional business community.
Professor Meyer, a leading international expert on business and innovation, took over formally as Director of KBS at the beginning of July 2013.