From January 2019, the Adapt Group will become part of UEA’s Research and Innovation Services, led by UEA’s Director of Research and Innovation and Chamber Board member, Helen Lewis.
Adapt operates the multi-award-winning Enterprise Centre on UEA’s campus, and the Low Carbon Innovation Fund, which so far has successfully invested over £20.5m, leveraging over £48m of private co-investment and supporting over 70 companies to grow.
Helen Lewis said: “This is an exciting opportunity to improve further the entrepreneurial culture at UEA, supporting the ambitions of staff, students and regional businesses; and to place The Enterprise Centre at the heart of our business engagement.”
While the Adapt brand will cease, existing projects with collaborators will continue, and staff will continue to be based at The Enterprise Centre – however they will now work within the University’s Research and Innovation Services.
The change (prompted in part by the December departure of Adapt CEO Prof John French) will allow The Enterprise Centre to fully integrate with the University’s other business engagement activities, expanding the support available to tenants and other stakeholders. The new approach will also provide one central place for businesses to contact to access University funding.
Helen added: “This will allow us to build our offer to The Enterprise Centre tenants and businesses in the region, and provide a truly integrated range of support from funding, access to expertise, recruitment, business incubators, and a whole host of other services.”