City centre business hub open its doors at university
Leeds Beckett University has established a professional, city centre space for the regional business community to meet, collaborate and access the university’s academic expertise and student talent.
The Knowledge Exchange is on the first floor of the Rose Bowl on Portland Way – the home of Leeds Business School.
It offers private meeting areas and open workspaces for working, meeting colleagues and clients, and connecting with the university’s business support services, academics and students.
Natalie Allen, head of business partnerships at Leeds Beckett University, said: “Knowledge exchange is about taking all our research, knowhow and support available at the university and bringing this to the business community – to exchange ideas, evidence, and expertise.
“It’s a great process for translating academic study into usable and transferable management capabilities.
“That is why we have created The Knowledge Exchange – we are committed to making the interaction with the university simple.
“This is a physical front door to the university for us to support businesses in our region to be sustainable, to innovate, and to grow strategically.”
Garry Cromack, operations director at Tomlinson Building Contractors, said: “The Knowledge Exchange is a great space and facility.
“Our offices are based outside Leeds and our meeting rooms are quite formal – equally coffee shops can be noisy and are not private.
“It is very convenient to have somewhere in Leeds city centre, with a more relaxed atmosphere, to meet clients or mentor colleagues.”
Provision includes boardrooms accommodating between six and 10 people, an Innovation Design Space for eight people with sofa-style seating, and smaller pods for two and four people. There are also sofas for more casual working and a kitchen.
The space hosts events – including expert guest lectures, regional roundtable events and academic innovation showcases. And it is bookable for students of the university when meeting clients as part of student consultancy projects, or when setting up their own entrepreneurial ventures.
