The University of York has won its second major Government award in six months as part of the White Rose Consortium.

The consortium, which also includes Leeds and Sheffield Universities, was today awarded £2.9 million from the Science Challenge Fund to set up a world-class Centre for Enterprise.

It follows an award for £4.5 million from the University Challenge Fund earlier this year.

The Centre for Enterprise will be based at all three institutions and will aim to fill a gap between the academic and commercial worlds, to help stimulate the commercial exploitation of high-tech research.

Expert teams with track records in exploiting science and engineering knowledge will be brought together in the centre to support the formation of start-up companies.

Graduates and researchers will be helped in taking ideas from the conceptual stage, through legal and company start-up advice, to full commercialisation.

The centre will also match innovative technologies developed in the three universities with existing companies willing to use their business potential.

Another key role will be the development of ideas in the teaching and training of enterprise techniques to scientists and engineers at different stages in their careers.

The aim is to encourage researches to think in terms of commercial use, leading to a more entrepreneurial culture in British Science.

Professor Ron Cooke, the University of York's vice-chancellor, said: "The research record of our three universities is phenomenal. Coupled with that is a proven ability to work together. This people-focused project, which will promote the commercial exploitation of our research, is set to benefit the cities in which we operate, the Yorkshire region and the British economy as a whole."

The centre was one of eight Centres of Enterprise announced today by Stephen Byers, secretary of state for trade and industry.

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