§ Mr. SheermanTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many programmes her Department has initiated since 1997 aimed at encouraging graduates to establish their own businesses. [71670]
§ Nigel GriffithsSince 1997, the DTI has initiated a comprehensive programme of support for knowledge transfer from the science base that includes amongst its objectives promotion of entrepreneurship and business awareness within universities, including encouraging graduates to establish their own businesses. The knowledge transfer programme includes
Science Enterprise Challenge—encouraging the teaching of entrepreneurship (established 1999)University Challenge—providing seed funding for commercialisation of research (established 1999)The Higher Education Innovation Fund—fostering links between universities and business (established 2001).These schemes are complemented by Research Council support and DTI programmes of longer standing, which strengthen links between universities and business and may lead indirectly to the establishment of new businesses.