Objective One was Cornwall's chance to fulfil a long-harboured ambition to create a university infrastructure. Today, thanks to the investment made in Combined Universities in Cornwall (CUC), the county boasts more than 6,750 higher education students learning at a dozen campuses. Convergence now presents an opportunity to optimise CUC's role in generating and nurturing the kinds of high value, knowledge driven businesses which will transform Cornwall's economy and create the well paid jobs its people desire. Cornwall also has the chance to make a quantum leap in the development of CUC, building on its unique partnership structure to create university education of the highest standards that will make the county stand out from the crowd both in the UK and Europe, and to ensure that as many people as possible from across the communities of Cornwall are able to enhance their lives through learning.
To deliver this vision, CUC proposes a family of projects within the following linked themes:
1. Developing Outstanding Research & Innovation Capacity
2. Developing Actions to Support New Business Formation & Business Growth
3. Supporting Economic Inclusion
The exciting new assets CUC plans to develop for Cornwall include prestigious research institutes, a specialist university for the arts, business facilities that will give local SMEs access to the kinds of expertise normally reserved for Blue Chip companies and a range of initiatives to widen access and opportunities for the county's businesses, people and communities.
Investment in research will generate new knowledge and new commercial opportunities in the county. Work to stimulate enterprise and innovation will help to create the kinds of businesses which can harness knowledge to generate wealth and create well paid jobs. Outreach and accessibility initiatives will raise ambitions and achievement among the people of Cornwall, providing individuals with opportunities to equip themselves with the high level skills needed to compete for these well paid jobs.
