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Victoria Enterprise Centre opens on campus

Over 100 guests from across the region attended the official opening of a new graduate enterprise centre at the University of º£½ÇÖ±²¥.

Margaret Fay, chairman of One North-East, opened the newly refurbished Victoria Building on behalf of the Regional Development Agency (RDA) The RDA provided funds, along with European grant support, to help finance the £1.3 million redevelopment of the 114 year old former Victoria Road School on the Middlesbrough-based university campus.

Two of the event’s speakers, whose own graduate companies were set up through the University of º£½ÇÖ±²¥'s business start-up initiative, told of their experiences in supporting an entrepreneurial revolution in the Tees Valley.

Keynote speaker was Thirsk-based Curtis Jobling, production designer for the BAFTA winning Bob the Builder children's animation series. He said the support given to the young graduate companies was ‘priceless’. In total, over 60 companies have been set up by graduates with the help of the University since the initiative was launched in 2000.

Professor Graham Henderson, Vice-Chancellor of the University of º£½ÇÖ±²¥, told guests that during the conversion of the old school building into 24 business incubation units, a time capsule was discovered. This included the original costings of Victoria School, which in 1891 totalled £12,000 -- a fraction of the 1.3m it cost to redevelop the building in the 21st century.

Professor Henderson said it was marvellous the same site that performed a valuable educational role in the 19th and 20th century was performing a new educational role in 21st century.

Margaret Fay, speaking on behalf of One North-East, congratulated the University on encouraging graduates to set up new businesses in the region and said the success placed the University at the heart of the regional economic strategy.

During the official opening, Rob Womersley from Seed Animation and Gillian Maxfield from ICT City Ltd, told how they have been encouraged to put their business ideas into practice through the graduate enterprise scheme. Both thanked the graduate enterprise team at the University led by Maurice Tinkler.

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