Knowledge Escalator South West

Enhancing Higher Education's contribution to the regional knowledge economy

Building on the success of the KESW1 and KESW2 projects, the Universities South West partnership has been commissioned by the South West RDA, along with the ERDF Competitiveness and Convergence programmes to deliver the new three-year Knowledge Escalator project which began on 1st October 2008.

This collaborative business engagement initiative aims to further strengthen South West HEI’s capacity to engage with business and to provide targeted elements of business support aligned to the Innovation and Knowledge strand of the ERDF programme. 

Knowledge Escalator will take forward successful elements of the KESW projects such as proof of concept awards, flagships initiatives and enterprise support and provide a regional dimension to initiatives already trialled in parts of the South West, such as the non-executive directors programme, business plan competitions and student mentoring schemes.

This initiative will deliver a portfolio of activities structured broadly around three key areas of collaborative knowledge transfer/knowledge exchange that will boost the capacity of HEIs to provide knowledge intensive support to SW businesses and stimulate new enterprise:

The Knowledge Escalator concept includes ten specific activity strands underpinned by a horizontal relationship development strand that will provide support and connectivity across the whole programme, including closer collaboration with Business Link, FE and other elements of the regional knowledge base.

The Knowledge Escalator Project is part financed by the European Union with £2,334,000 from the European Regional Development Fund 2007-13, and £2m from the South West Regional Development Agency under the Competitiveness and Convergence Operating Programmes.

For further information on our expertise for business please click here.

For our latest brochure outlining the achievements of the project please click here.