A blog by University of Nottingham Graduate Management Trainee, Tave Burnett
As part of a Graduate Management scheme with the University of Nottingham, I have been on placement with Midlands Innovation for six months. During my time with Midlands Innovation, I have enjoyed learning about the wide range of impact that their work has on the region and beyond. My main project with Midlands Innovation has involved producing case studies that capture this positive impact. The project has involved researching, interviewing, writing, and publishing case studies to be shared on the Midlands Innovation website.
The aim of these case studies is to highlight the variety of ways that Midlands Innovation adds value to the research communities based throughout the Midlands, as well as the impact of research taking place in the Midlands in areas of national importance, such as climate change, health and how MI champions the critical work of technicians and their fundamental importance to research and teaching in the UK.
Throughout the project, it has been clear to see that Midlands Innovation is working to support and develop research and innovation throughout the region in a myriad of ways which visitors to the website can now read about, and which the MI team will share in future editions of the newsletter. Examples include the facilitation of networks across a wide range of fields, the support of collaborative funding bids, and the development of databases designed to remove barriers to accessing equipment and facilities. Through the case studies, I hope the passion that Midlands Innovation has for the support and development of both people and place shines through.
I also want to thank everyone that I’ve worked with and spoken to across the partnership. Thank you for your time and wisdom, these collaborations have been a huge contributor to the creation of the case studies. It has been immensely interesting to speak to professionals from a wide range of backgrounds, institutions, and fields. I have appreciated having the opportunity to hear first-hand accounts of how inter-institution collaboration can work in practice. The many skills gained from the project have helped to contribute to my professional development and I look forward to building on this experience in my next placement.
