De Montford fills incubation centre
The Innovation Centre at De Montfort University (DMU) has been filled for the first time since it was established a decade ago.
Twenty-one businesses are now housed in the centre, which also provides support for 12 pre-incubation businesses. In the past nine months the centre has led to 40 new jobs being created.
Stuart Hartley, business incubation and enterprise manager at the university, said: “The Innovation Centre provides a home for innovative new businesses from within the region with access to free information and resources. DMU is seeing increasing levels of pre-start business activity, particularly from its own students and graduates looking for incubation space. This is mainly through the success of the Campus Enterprise Opportunities and Enterprise Inc programmes helping to turn ideas into viable business ventures.
“We have developed our existing links and created new links with regional support providers from both the public and private sector, leading to an increased awareness of our provision and some referrals. New businesses making their names known during the downturn will certainly be noticed when the economy picks up.”
