UWE Bristol’s Research, Business and Innovation department has been selected as a finalist in the prestigious 2014 National Business Awards – the only university to be shortlisted. UWE is in the running for the title of BlackBerry Business Enabler of the Year, one of 17 categories.
The finalists were selected by a panel of leading business figures, including Simon Feary, CEO of the Chartered Quality Institute, who described UWE as “A real business enabler across a broad range of initiatives. 
“UWE mines its rich vein of talent really effectively, showing what can be done to benefit business when intellectual capital is combined with commercial nous.”
Head of UWE’s Research and Business Development team, Tracey John, said: “We are particularly proud of being shortlisted, as many of those competing for the awards are outstanding businesses in their fields.
“Enabling businesses to innovate and grow is core to our strategy and ethos, so we are delighted to be getting national recognition for this. Our unique approach allows us to work with businesses of all sizes across all sectors. Some examples of how UWE supports enterprise and economic growth in the region include hosting European-funded innovation projects such as iNets South West and UWE’s Innovation 4 Growth programme, which saw £4m of innovation funds distributed to South West businesses."
Finalists will make live Dragons’ Den-style presentations to a multi-disciplinary panel of judges who will decide the overall winner for each award category, to be announced at an awards ceremony in November.
The National Business Awards supports The Prince’s Trust, a charity that offers practical and financial support to young people who need it.
