Employment and Learning Minister Dr Stephen Farry launched the third phase of the Department's 'Connected' programme, Connected 3.

Connected is the first and only Knowledge Transfer programme in the UK to be delivered across both the Higher and Further Education sectors. Funded by the Department, Connected is delivered by Queen's University, the University of Ulster and the six further education (FE) colleges. It helps businesses improve their performance by providing one-stop-shop access to a broad portfolio of knowledge and technology support services, from problem definition through to solution identification and implementation.

Minister Farry said: "My decision to approve a third round of Connected to run for the next four years, represents a total investment of over £4.5million and is testament to the excellent work carried out in the past four years. Since its launch as a pilot programme in 2007, Connected has enabled companies to gain access to world-class expertise, technology and research from Northern Ireland's universities and colleges, assisting them to boost their competitiveness, develop new products and increase market opportunities.

"Connected 3 will continue to develop a broad and growing portfolio of industrial support networks spanning Queen’s, the University of Ulster and all six further education colleges, further developing the programme’s existing links with both the Agri-Food & Biosciences Institute and with the College of Agriculture, Food & Rural Enterprise, whilst also now seeking to build an entirely new relationship with the Open University in Northern Ireland.

"Businesses will now have coordinated access to the full portfolio of expertise represented by all of Northern Ireland’s regional colleges, universities and agricultural institutes - in terms of research, product development, knowledge transfer, innovation, skills and training."

(CD)