SDG 9 - Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

SDG 9 - Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure - Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation.

We have opened two incubation hubs at our High Wycombe and Aylesbury campuses. The hubs will provide economic growth and employment opportunities for the area’s start-up and small businesses. Both hubs foster innovation, one in the med-tech sector, the other in digital innovation.

We have seen the full implementation of a LEPfunded Digital Skills Hub at our Aylesbury campus. As well as the aforementioned incubation space, there has been capital investment in cyber security infrastructure, CAD and AR (augmented reality) training and a mobile outreach facility. The cyber and CAD/AR facilities are being used to enhance the learning of our students.

In the summer of 2019, the University invested £1m in its Aylesbury campus, converting a floor of what was general teaching space into a highspecification nursing and care facility, comprising a living lab simulation suite, adult and child nursing suites and seminar rooms. These facilities will host hundreds of new health and care students in the coming years, as well as being a test-bed for health innovations and linked training.

Bucks Health and Social Care (HSC) Ventures programme - led by Bucks New University and funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) - aims to help solve health and social care challenges by introducing business innovations to market. The programme has provided individualised support and market access to a select cohort of early stage businesses and has also facilitated larger conferences for businesses, our partners and other stakeholders. The delivery partners for Bucks HSC Ventures include Bucks Healthcare Trust, Bucks County Council, Bucks Clinical Commissioning Group, Oxford Academic Health Sciences Network and Bucks New University.

MedTech SuperConnector programme: Bucks New University is part of a consortium of eight higher education institutions that are tackling challenges in the MedTech SuperConnector programme. Led by Imperial College London, the MedTech SuperConnector is an open experiment in medical technology acceleration, combining research academic institutions technology transfer offices, three science business incubators, industry expertise, NHS patients and other enabling partners.

The School of Art, Design & Performance organised Creative Futures Week in January 2020 with opportunities for all staff and Art, Design & Performance students to get involved in most sessions. Industry professionals led workshops and gave talks on topical issues including sustainability; responsible fashion; the impact of design on wellbeing; and how innovative materials are being created in response to global challenges.

One of our Art & Design students created Urban Greening, a project to highlight the way that urban conurbations can be improved through the use of simple planting techniques within a city environment.

As a University community we place a high emphasis on Fairtrade and the University and Bucks Students’ Union have signed a joint Fairtrade policy. We further promote Fairtrade each year with the Smile campaign, which involves student volunteers handing out Fairtrade bananas and flapjacks to early morning commuters in exchange for a smile. All items include a Fairtrade fact to encourage members of the local community to buy Fairtrade. Our Fairtrade ambassador also hosted a Fairtrade breakfast, attended by Mike King, Chairman of Wycombe Fairtrade, who spoke to students about the importance of Fairtrade.

Bucks Students’ Union’s Green Society have organised several initiatives including a second hand clothes stall, promoting the environmental aspects of buying second hand. They also invited a guest speaker from Dopplle to speak about sustainable fashion and eco living, and hosted a soap-making session to promote sustainable living. The Green Society also organised for local company, Harry’s House Refills, to set up shop once a month within the foyer of the Students’ Union to promote plastic-free shopping. The company sells loose, bulk food and plastic free items by weight, volume or item and students bring their own containers.