Universities to host Enterprise Research Centre named

The new £2.9m centre will exploit and develop the existing knowledge base and data resources, strengthen the links between evidence and practice, and inform government policy and business practice for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK.

It is a joint collaboration between the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), the British Bankers’ Association (BBA), the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the Technology Strategy Board. Warwick and Aston will work alongside a consortium of other universities including Strathclyde, Birmingham, De Montfort and Imperial College London.

The director of the Centre will be Stephen Roper, Professor of Enterprise at Warwick Business School. He said: “I am delighted to be leading the Enterprise Research Centre with Professor Mark Hart from Aston Business School. By working together we will generate world-class research which will both benefit business and inform UK policy development.

“The centre will research important issues including business ambition, leadership and management, finance, innovation, productivity and diversity. Our key objective is to provide policymakers and SME managers with the evidence they need to make good decisions for growth. We have three main ambitions: to conduct and publish exciting and novel research; to provide the evidence for better growth strategy in the UK; and to establish the Enterprise Research Centre as a reference point for anyone interested in issues around business growth.”

Professor Paul Boyle, chief executive of the ESRC, added: “Supporting economic performance and sustainable growth, and developing collaborative partnerships with business and policy are key priorities for the ESRC. I am pleased to be working with the British Bankers’ Association, the Technology Strategy Board and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to develop this new Enterprise Research Centre. Our complementary knowledge and experience make us ideal partners in this investment and by working together we will generate research which will directly benefit business and inform policy development.”