Innovation hub and KPMG team up to bring expertise to businesses

A new innovation hub has teamed up with a top professional services firm to bring business expertise to Yorkshire.

Nexus, the University of Leeds’ new innovation hub which opens early next year, and KPMG have joined forces to help startups, SMEs and entrepreneurs.

The first of its kind in the North, the collaboration will commence in January next year with Lizzie McCloy, a senior manager in KPMG’s Enterprise team supporting the Nexus community.

Lizzie will work on a one-to-one basis with Nexus members to identify where they need support and will provide guidance on topics such as access to finance and international expansion to help them achieve their business goals.

She will work closely with recent Nexus recruits, engagement manager Chelsea Hardy, and collaboration manager Dr Harrison Evans, to support Nexus’ growing community of businesses and entrepreneurs.

Nexus director Dr Martin Stow said: “This collaboration represents a fantastic opportunity to marry the University’s world-class research and innovation expertise with KPMG’s wealth of business advice and industry experience.

“Lizzie will be a fantastic addition to the Nexus community and her experience will prove invaluable for our members looking to translate ideas into real business opportunities.”

Chris Hearld, North regional chair for KPMG, said: “As the innovation ecosystems surrounding our universities continue to evolve at pace, the UK is fast gaining global recognition for developing and nurturing exceptional talent, and for producing exciting and innovative fast-growth businesses through incubators such as Nexus. In the long-term, this could prove to be the key differentiator which sets the UK apart from other nations as the world’s foremost global innovation hub.

He added: “This collaboration with Nexus is part of our long-term strategy of embedding ourselves into the regional innovation ecosystem and is a demonstration of our commitment to building lasting strategic relationships with start-up and fast-growth businesses.”

Based in a brand new £40m building on the University campus, Nexus will feature state-of-the-art facilities including office and lab space, collaboration areas, event and meeting space and a dedicated team who will be responsible for facilitating productive working partnerships and collaborations.

Looking to promote your product/service to SME businesses in your region? Find out how Bdaily can help →