Three more years of enterprise research announced

• The Enterprise Research Centre has secured funding for three further years of rigorous research into SME growth and entrepreneurship

The Enterprise Research Centre has secured funding for three further years of research on the state of entrepreneurship and SME growth in the UK.
The ERC, a network of researchers with a core team based at Aston Business School and Warwick Business School, will continue to produce independent research and insight on SME innovation,
productivity and growth thanks to funding from several partners. They include ESRC, BEIS, Innovate UK, the British Business Bank and the Intellectual Property Office.
The research produced by ERC is designed to answer one central question: “What drives SME growth?” Their mission is to become a focal point internationally for research, knowledge and expertise on SME growth and entrepreneurship, bringing the evidence base on SMEs and enterprise together, driving out new research insights and working to ensure research shapes better policies and practices to help SMEs to grow.

Professor Alec Cameron, Vice Chancellor of Aston University, said: “The ERC is an exemplar of research collaboration at Aston and the Business School and has achieved significant success since its launch in 2013 under the leadership of Steve Roper and Mark Hart. It is testament to this success that funding has been agreed for a further three years and I look forward to our continued partnership with Warwick University in this area.”

Professor Stuart Croft, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Warwick, said: “Warwick University welcomes the continued funding of the Enterprise Research Centre, which over the past five years has become widely known for its high quality, policy-relevant research on SMEs. Warwick University is proud to continue to support this successful collaborative research centre in maximising its societal and economic impact in the coming years.”

ENDS
Notes to the editor
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About Aston University
Founded in 1895 and a University since 1966, Aston is a long established university led by its three main beneficiaries – students, business and the professions, and our region and society. Aston University is located in Birmingham and at the heart of a vibrant city and the campus houses all the university’s academic, social and accommodation facilities for our students. Professor Alec Cameron is the Vice Chancellor & Chief Executive. Aston has been a leading university for graduate employment success for over 25 years and our students do extremely well in securing top jobs and careers. Our strong relationships with industry partners mean we understand the needs of employers, which is why we are also ranked in the top 20 for graduate employability.

For media inquiries in relation to this release, call Ben Kennedy, Press & PR Officer, on 0121 204 4592 or email b.p.kennedy@aston.ac.uk. Alternatively, email pr@aston.ac.uk
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