Recession must not rein in university research

The credit crunch feels like a real knock back for higher education institutions just when our work to get universities and industry talking to each other seemed to be bearing fruit. Taken at face value, the global financial crisis should send shivers down the spine of anyone involved in the research industry. Why would organisations develop new products and services when the current ones aren't shifting? More pertinently, why would any struggling company invest in my university's research to help develop new products or solve problems? Well, maybe we can't help everyone, but despite the belt-tightening going on at firms up and down the country, it is exactly these companies that universities should be working with right now. And work with them we must if we are to maximise our own potential. Not only can research help... [read full story]