Surrey University scheme offers free research for engineering firms

Surrey University has launched a Space Engineering Innovation Voucher Scheme in partnership with the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA), to support small and medium enterprises and start-up companies working in space industries or in related areas such as communications, GPS, processing of satellite images, and so on.

Keith Robson, Director of Research & Enterprise Support at the university said the university’s Space Centre (SSC) is the largest satellite engineering research groups in Europe and Surrey also has telecommunications, electronics and software expertise. “We are therefore ideally positioned to help companies develop products either for use directly in space, or in downstream markets, for example providing GPS-based services, satellite imaging, processing space data or using space technologies for applications in other sectors.”

The innovation vouchers can be used by companies to buy services from the university or from other specialist partners. Grants of up to £8,000 are available in two stages.

The vouchers are intended to help businesses exploit projects and ideas for which they lack the technology or expertise, and can be used for any activity that furthers existing innovative projects, products or services, acting as a catalyst towards commercialisation.

The vouchers could be used to access the university’s academic research expertise, to use university facilities for proof of concept or to build demonstrators, for patenting or intellectual property rights licensing costs or legal advice and for market research/marketing communications.

Applicants must be SMEs or start-up companies based in south east England.

This scheme is the first of many business development activities that will emerge from the newly formed Space Engineering Innovation Centre (SEIC). The Centre will offer incubation space and business support to SMEs, professional space engineering training courses, access to specialist software, and a programme of collaboration workshops between academia and industry. The facilities will open in Spring 2011.

Applications for Innovation Vouchers will be judged by an expert panel and preference will be given to those projects that align with existing capabilities at Surrey University and the SEIC. The call for applications will close on 31st January 2011.

For more information, contact Julia Hart, Project Manager.