Starting a business? : History

The White Rose Centre for Enterprise, established in 1999 via the Government's Science Enterprise Challenge, builds on the excellent track record in research and exploitation activities of the Universities of Leeds, Sheffield and York.

The White Rose Universities have an extensive, high quality science, engineering and technology base. They reside in the "premier league" of UK Universities on any measure of research volume or research excellence. They have 86 science, engineering and technology departments and over 3500 academic staff working in them.

The exploitation record is exemplary. Innovation exploitation successes include 50 spin off companies with a combined turnover in excess of £75M turnover.

The mission of the WRCE is to increase the rate of enterprise activity at the White Rose Universities and in the context of spinouts, to generate 100 new companies over the five-year period 1999 to 2004.

The three Universities have had active technology transfer offices and companies for many years. WRCE works through those units, enabling them to increase resources and to develop faster by sharing best practice.