West Midlands businesses have good performance in product innovation but investment in R&D is too low and commercialization with knowledge base in Universities poor. The Regional Economic Strategy and Regional Innovation Strategy focus on the West Midlands’ need to bridge the gap between university research and industry.

Hence the recent 1-week study visit by a group of 16 partners involved in the Science City initiative to Vastra Gotaland region, Sweden. It was a part of the EU Lifelong Learning Leonardo da Vinci Programme. Earlier this year AWM together with Birmingham City Council submitted a project proposal for €25 000 which was highly scored and approved for funding by ECOTEC, the UK National Agency for EU Lifelong Learning Programme.

The general aim was to identify good practice and successes qualified through robust economic measures as well as to check what structures work and why. It was to help West Midlands region to support improvements in quality and innovation in institutions in the region. Partner organisation in Sweden was Chalmers University - a top technical university in Sweden with significant research activities and facilities on premise. The participants experienced and learnt through visits to university research centres, innovation centres, and incubation units. Participants learnt good practice from seasoned professionals about knowledge and innovation transfer from university labs to companies for commercial use.

The visit was received as immensely valuable for knowledge exchange and the sharing of practice. The biggest impression made the way that involvement of the public and private partners and activities involved in the Innovation System, particularly for bio science is coordinated in Sweden. Remarkable is also the way that they lobby and successfully bid for EU 7th Framework – Research and Development Programme using direct links with the European Commission based on individuals with expertise recognisable worldwide. 

At the moment the participants are preparing a report that should provide some ideas and recommendations that add value to the advancement of the Science City agenda and suggest opportunities that may help achieve the realisation of West Midlands Economic Strategy. The future exchange visits are envisaged to explore other thematic areas in the leading regions in Europe.