The Duke of York sees business innovation in action at Plymouth University

HRH The Duke of York has visited Plymouth University to learn more about its lead involvement in GAIN – the Growth Acceleration and Investment Network - and how it is supporting innovation and the growth of businesses and jobs in the South West.

The Duke met entrepreneurs and businesses who have benefited directly from GAIN’s work when he toured the University’s Formation Zone and the state-of-the-art wave tank facilities at the new £19M Marine Building which his father, the Duke of Edinburgh officially opened this time last year.

HRH supports initiatives which help entrepreneurs and SMEs to develop, succeed and ultimately generate economic growth.

Speaking during his visit, HRH The Duke of York said: “Universities are crucial to the opportunity for young people to understand that they can start their own business, and the environment that Plymouth University built up over a number of years is absolutely fantastic. If we don’t breed that next generation of entrepreneurs, and give them the support in areas and in technologies, we are not going to be at the forefront of the future. The South West has a very good network that other parts of the country can learn and feed off – in short, Plymouth University is making a difference.”

Professor Julian Beer, Pro Vice-Chancellor for regional enterprise at Plymouth University, said The Duke was interested in the work that GAIN has been doing to accelerate the creation, growth and investment in high quality businesses and ideas to create wealth and jobs in the South West.

Professor Beer added: “GAIN is all about enabling growth in people and business so we are particularly pleased that The Duke had the opportunity to meet some of the entrepreneurs and exciting new companies being supported by GAIN as they develop their ideas and grow. This is particularly timely following last week’s publication of the government commissioned, independent review led by Sir Andrew Witty on the role of universities and economic growth, which Vice-Chancellor Professor Wendy Purcell acted as an expert advisor to.”

The Duke also met senior city stakeholders and partners and was briefed on how GAIN and Plymouth University is at the heart of the proposed City Deal, helping to bid for it along with Plymouth City Council and other local authorities and business organisations across the South West. Plymouth’s City Deal will focus on developing the region’s maritime assets and capabilities but will also act as a catalyst for economic growth across the region.

GAIN was founded by Plymouth University, Plymouth City Council and Tamar Science Park to accelerate business growth, investment and the creation of jobs and wealth in the region. It provides a clear route to growth for businesses at all levels, acting as an innovation and enterprise “ecosystem” that supports people with ideas, businesses that want to grow, and investors as well as joining up physical assets, academic expertise and research facilities.

Among the businesses the Duke spoke with in the Formation Zone were The Indi Project, a sustainable arts company run by three former Plymouth University photography students, and Knowledge, an amalgamation of three former Formation Zone businesses that have joined forces to create design and marketing solutions.

The Duke also met representatives from two Plymouth-based renewable energy businesses - 40South Energy and WITT Ltd - as he toured facilities in the Marine Building.

Internationally successful 40South Energy, which manufactures and markets wave energy converters and recently launched its first wave energy generator off the coast of Tuscany, spent a year in the Formation Zone before moving into a grow-on office on The Hoe in May.

WITT Ltd is the company behind a revolutionary marine renewable energy device and having spent time testing its Whatever Input to Torsion Transfer (WITT) transmission system in the Marine Building’s wave tanks has recently attracted international interest after winning a major $100,000 award in a prestigious US competition for cutting-edge inventions from all over the world.