News Article

Some great news for the North-East to brighten up these gloomy days of economic depression! The University of Teesside has just been selected as the country’s Business Incubation Champion of the year.

The prestigious award was announced at the UK Business Incubation annual conference in Bristol and recognises the University's dedicated team who provide a supportive environment for business start-ups during the early stages of their development.

To date the pioneering initiative has seen over 100 graduate companies launched with the University’s help on the Middlesbrough campus since 2001, creating nearly 225 new jobs.

The award was presented to the University's New Business Account Manager Eileen Wicks by the BBC’s economics correspondent Evan Davis, the presenter of BBC’s Dragon’s Den who also reports for Radio 4’s influential Today programme.

Eileen said: "The campus-based business incubation centre welcomes a variety of new companies. These range from high-tech motion graphics animators, web developers and computer games designers right through to business support enterprises and lifestyle companies. Our work reflects the University's desire to encourage high levels of business and entrepreneurial activity in the Tees Valley and wider North East of England. The award recognises that we are starting to make a real impact on the regional economy by encouraging and supporting entrepreneurship among students, graduates and local people wanting to set up their own businesses.”

Professor Cliff Hardcastle, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Research and Enterprise at the University of Teesside, said: “This is absolutely superb news and my congratulations go to our business incubation champions.  They thoroughly deserve this award.”

Laura Woods, Director of Academic Enterprise at the University, said: “It’s fantastic and a well earned recognition for the whole team.  There’s no stopping us now!

Neil Hannah, New Business Manager, explained the UKBI awards recognise those organisations who strive to support world-class businesses and entrepreneurs who are making an impact on local, regional and national economies, particularly those who are creating sustainable environments for the future.

Two of the University’s graduate start-up businesses were also finalists at the awards for the Incubated Business of the Year prize. There were only four firms shortlisted for the finals.

They were Fluid Pixel Studios Ltd set up by Stuart Varrall, who has been running a mobile software company since graduating with a Masters degree from the University of Teesside two years ago.  He recently returned from six months in United States as part of a National Council the Graduate Entrepreneurship and Kaufmann Foundation Fellowship. Also shortlisted was Twisted Studio Ltd, a Flex and Flash multimedia development company, launched by Kevin Jones, Graham Bryan and Michael Kirby in the late 2006. They have provided a wide range of services to clients including ITV is CITV and the BBC.

During their business incubation, both companies received extensive support and mentoring from Dave Sharp, Head of Special Projects with DigitalCity Business, and both are now playing a key role in helping Teesside to become a major hub for the digital and other creative industries.