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Innovation
a flexible, low inertia environment in which new ideas can be brought rapidly from conception to reality.

Expertise
a means of harnessing key talents from Industry and Academia to focus on problem solving.

Facilities
a flexible, fully resourced unit with access to equipment, technical support, information services and other facilities.

 

Resourcing

The Department will explore with a prospective company the cost of providing facilities and resources to meet its specific research needs. The resources provided will largely depend on the requirements of the company and the nature of the interaction envisaged with the department. Furthermore the arrangements may change with time as the work of the unit matures. A possible financial scenario would consist of a down payment and a lease which would be transferable to another company under appropriate terms. There is also an option of custom-built accommodation. In addition, access to University equipment and facilities would be arranged on a per capita or actual usage basis.

In collaboration with The University, it may be possible for a UTC to comprise of a significant research team based on short term contracts, or seconded research staff. Both types of employment could be particularly beneficial to smaller companies not initially requiring a long term commitment.

Facilities

Inevitably no two companies will have the same requirements. A possible scenario might be:

  • A unit, equipped and resourced completely by the company with a mixture of seconded and locally employed staff.
  • Sole responsibility for the scope of the work undertaken within the unit lies with the company and it controls the security of the ideas and research.
  • Entry to the unit by non-company staff to be at the discretion of the company.
  • The company develops scientific collaborations at a variety of levels with academic members drawing from a range of University departments.

For each UTC, an Academic Director of Research may be appointed to foster effective interaction. The Academic Director would be a co-director with the Corporate Director of Research and would be a member of the Materials Department with expertise in a relevant area. In this way the company will be assured that it will be able to exploit fully the synergistic relationship with both the department and the wider University.

The establishment of a corporate UTC within the Department not only places company personnel in the heart of a research environment; it also provides immediate access to a wide range of facilities:

  • State of the art equipment and machinery: microscopes, processing and fabrication facilities, and workshops
  • Seminars and talks
  • Computing systems and infrastructure
  • Libraries
  • Administration and services
  • Common rooms and meeting rooms
  • Above all, there will be the opportunity to tap into the world-leading academic skills base which Cambridge offers.
  • DMSM facilities