UK Science Minister David Willetts addressed over 200 industrialists, entrepreneurs and academics at the SETsquared Changing Worlds event last week, which brought together the partnerships universities of Bath, Bristol, Southampton and Surrey, to demonstrate the economic and social impact of their research. Willetts congratulated the four universities on their ten year-long collaboration, and recognised their contribution to the economy and research.
In response, Glynis Breakwell, Vice Chancellor of Bath University, said, “The SETsquared Partnership strongly believes that maintaining the environment for a high performing research base within the higher education sector is essential.” She also asked the Minister to note that, “Our research excellence will not survive a stop-go funding approach.”
The goal of SETsquared is to maximise the benefit of university research to the economy, society and the environment. The four partner universities collectively employ 6,500 academics, teach over 74,000 students and manage 7 per cent of the UK’s higher education research budget.
Receive the Funding Newswire [full access requires a subscription] each Tuesday, our Policy Bulletin each Thursday, and news about bridging Europe’s east-west innovation gap twice a month in The Widening. 
A unique international forum for public research organisations and companies to connect their external engagement with strategic interests around their R&D system.