Knowledge Exploitation South West 1

KESW1 was a three-year SWRDA funded programme which ran from Septemeber 2002 to September 2005 and was designed to increase productivity, profits and jobs in the South West of England.

The programme outlined detailed proposals to help higher education and South West businesses work together by:

Helping businesses to gain access to specialist expertise and new technologies developed in the region's universities and colleges, which will help them increase productivity and expand, so creating new jobs.
Supporting the development of ‘knowledge entrepreneurs’ – people who develophigher education ‘bright ideas’ to create new businesses and jobs in the region.

Headline Outputs to 30 September 2005

Over 7,000 businesses briefed
114 in-depth business projects initiated
£5.4m Gross Value Added to SW businesses
83 Proof of Concept projects supported
130 jobs created/safeguarded
35 new businesses created
1,975 entrepreneurship learning opportunities provided