Clearview South October 2013 - Issue 143 | Page 83

BUSINESSNEWS

MORE UNIVERSITIES MUST SHARE
RESEARCH WITH SMES
The outgoing President of
Europe’s largest engineering
body is calling for more
universities to give small and
medium sized businesses
open access to the intellectual
property (IP) that they create.
Professor Andy Hopper CBE is
making the plea as he prepares to
step down after his one-year term
as President of the Institution
of Engineering and Technology
(IET).

Andy said: “Tax payers are
already funding the creation of
innovative intellectual property
in our universities, so it seems
reasonable that more of this is
made available to UK SMEs that
are best positioned to add value
and commercialise it.
“Universities should be
encouraged and incentivised more
to kick start the development of
new technologies and products
by openly assigning the required

IP to dynamic British businesses
at minimal extra cost. In return,
maybe the university could get a
one or two per cent shareholding,
more of a goodwill gesture than
a conventional transaction. This
is all perfectly possible and is
happening in a number of UK
universities already.”
Professor Andy Hopper,
who heads up the University
of Cambridge Computer
Laboratory, believes this will be

a big boost for the engine room
of the UK economy, small and
medium sized enterprises. He
said: “With the success of so
much future policy based around
engineering and technology, I
believe that it is time for the
Government to draw more on the
knowledge and experience of the
UK’s best engineering talent at
the highest levels.”
www.theiet.org

PUTTING EDUCATION IN THE FRAME
The VEKA UK Group has
unveiled a new brochure
dedicated to the education
market, detailing the many
products and services available
to specifiers and decision
makers within this sector.
The Group has a strong,
long-standing presence in the
education field and this new
brochure demonstrates a wealth
of experience in designing
and specifying for education.
Featuring a detailed introduction
to The VEKA UK Group, the

document goes on to outline the
wide range of VEKA and Halo
products suited to education
buildings.
VEKA Sales and Marketing
Director Colin Torley explains:
“We decided to redesign and
update our education brochure
as part of our commitment to
commercial fabricators - it gives
them an even better sales tool
with which to approach education
clients. The VEKA UK Group
has a huge range of high quality
products which are perfect for the

education sector including many
that have only just been launched
to the industry.
“The new TwinSash, for
example, can reduce sound levels
by around 50dB and help make
classrooms quiet havens for
concentration. It means lessons
won’t be disrupted by noise from
outdoor play areas and sports
fields.”
To order a copy of the new
brochure - email education@
veka.com or call 01282 716611.

NMW ROGUES TO BE NAMED AND SHAMED
Employers who fail to pay
the National Minimum Wage
(NMW) will be publicly named
and shamed under revamped
plans to make it easier to clamp
down on rogue businesses,
Employment Relations Minister
Jo Swinson has announced.
The new rules are part of
government efforts to toughen up
enforcement of the NMW and
increase compliance. By naming
employers it is hoped that bad
publicity will be an additional
deterrent to employers who

would otherwise be tempted
not to pay the NMW. This is on
top of financial penalties, which
employers already face if they fail
to pay NMW.

‘Tough action’
In 2012/13 HMRC identified
736 employers who had failed to
pay the National Minimum Wage
leading to the recovery of £3.9
million in unpaid wages for over
26,500 workers. Jo Swinson said:

To read more, visit www.clearview-uk.com

“Paying less than the minimum
wage is illegal. If employers break
this law they need to know that
we will take tough action.
If workers feel they aren’t
getting the minimum wage that
they are legally entitled to then
they should contact the free and
confidential Pay and Work Rights
Helpline on 0800 917 2368.
Calls will be referred to HMRC
to actively investigate any
suspected non-payment of
national minimum wage.

OCT 2013

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