Welcome

Introduction

This £10.9M HEFCW funded partnership is a pioneering collaboration that was based on the research reputations and capabilities of Aberystwyth and Bangor Universities. It was established in 2006 and builds on the research, and research and enterprise support synergies across both Universities. The starting point was the formation of four research centres with international aspirations:

• Centre for Advanced Functional Materials and Devices (www.CAFMaD.ac.uk)

• Centre for Integrated Research in the Rural Environment (www.CIRRE.ac.uk)

• Centre for Catchment and Coastal Research (www.CCCR.ac.uk)

• Institute for Medieval and Early Modern Studies (www.IMEMS.ac.uk)

All the Centres have developed International links, and through the recruitment of top researchers, and participation of existing high calibre academics, research from these Centres is being published internationally and being utilised by

policy makers and organisations globally.  

A key aim of the Partnership is to build on joint research opportunities and capitalise on the changing nature of research and enterprise funding, which increasingly encourages a more collaborative approach between universities. This mid-term review brochure demonstrates the ‘ahead of target’ progress being made in developing a sustainable and world-class research base in North and Mid Wales, with a local and global outlook.

In terms of deliverables, all the Research Centres have increased the research capacity and international profile in their disciplines by recruiting top quality academics, which in turn have attracted more funding and researchers to the Universities.

The additional research income target set by HEFCW was £11M. To date across the four research centres, a total of £13.25M (120% of target) has been secured as either new joint research projects or funding brought in by the new

appointments. Further research income has been won as a result of workshops and meetings that have brought together existing academics across the two Universities who had not worked together before.

Another aim of the Partnership is to contribute to the economic, cultural and social development of Wales. Examples of success in these areas is in the successful funding of the Aber-Bangor Skills Centre and Intellectual Property Commercialisation Pilot Project, the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) funded Welsh Seals project, which includes a schools and galleries touring exhibition; and through the engagement of policy makers and agencies with the Research Centres.

Recently, a fifth centre, the Centre for Knowledge and Innovation Transfer and Enterprise (CKITE) has been created in order to build on the existing enterprise activities between Commercialisation and Consultancy Services (CCS)

in Aberystwyth and their opposite number: the Research Innovation Office (RIO, formerly UIB) in Bangor. This new Centre will formalise a structure and ensure good communication between the two departments and will examine

opportunities to support the potential broader collaborations between the Partnership and other Welsh institutions. An example of a recent joint success for CKITE is the Aber-Bangor Skills Centre.

“The Research and Enterprise Partnership enables Aberystwyth and Bangor Universities to be internationally competitive and to respond to major challenges. It provides the range of expertise which is required to be effective and to facilitate the adoption of the problem-based and interdisciplinary approach to research that is essential in today’s world. The Partnership also emphasises the impact of research and the close connection between research and innovation.”

Professor Noel Lloyd

Vice-Chancellor, Aberystwyth University

“The Aberystwyth and Bangor Universities’ Research and Enterprise Partnership is clearly contributing towards the aspiration[2] for Wales to be internationally recognised for its research excellence. The Partnership is attracting high calibre researchers and is creating a thriving research community that is nurturing future academic strength in Mid and North Wales, and is undertaking research with impact that is contributing to the economic, social and cultural fabric of Wales and the wider world.”

Professor Merfyn Jones

Vice-Chancellor, Bangor University

[2] Reported in the Review of Higher Education in

Wales, Professor Merfyn Jones Report 27.04.09.