A University eMarketing expert is working closely with Northern Ireland’s largest glossy magazine, Ulster Tatler, to develop an innovative and interactive Ulster Bride website, offering brides a valuable online resource which will add value to their favourite magazine. Chris Sherry, Managing Director of Ulster Tatler, said: “Various features will ensure that brides to be and other interested parties will not only receive relevant information through directories, they will also have a range of highly interactive and entertaining content.” Geoff Simmons, Lecturer in eMarketing, School of Marketing, Entrepreneurship and Strategy, said: “The magazine is keen to exploit the many opportunities offered by the internet and I am involved in developing an optimal eMarketing strategy to help them achieve this.”

If you are interested in finding out how the University can work with you to develop your online strategy, contact Geoff Simmons, telephone 028 90 36 8992 or email gj.simmons@ulster.ac.uk

Need Expertise and Consultancy? If so, a consultant from the University could be the answer. Through UUTech we provide direct access to leading experts and some of the best analytical and testing facilities in Europe. Areas covered include: • Arts and Creative Design • Biomedical Engineering, Life Sciences and New Materials • Business • Communications • Economics and Economic Evaluation • Engineering • Environmental • Health • ICT, Electronics and Financial Services • Nanotechnology

For more information on consultancy or to access our directory of experts please contact Ciara Leonard, telephone 028 9093 0011 or email c.leonard@ulster.ac.uk, or Joel Ferguson, telephone 028 9093 0016 or email ju.ferguson@ulster.ac.uk

Student-Business Link The University’s Work Experience Development Unit is piloting new models of student placement with Northern Ireland companies as part of its Student-Business Link project, supported by the Higher Education Innovation Fund (HEIF) and Invest Northern Ireland. Offered in addition to the more traditional full year industrial placement, the new short-term and part-time options are a great way to improve business in a cost-effective manner. One of the first placements involved a marketing student joining NITEC Solutions in Antrim, an IT strategy and systems provider, on a part-time basis. Scott McClenaghan, NITEC Technical Sales and Marketing Manager, said: “The University’s short-term placement programme is allowing us to assess the need and effectiveness of a dedicated marketing resource without having to commit to a full 12 months. The flexibility of the scheme, meaning that placement length can be matched to project requirements is a huge benefit. James McLornan, our placement student, has been a genuinely valuable resource to us so far and, if our experience is anything to go by, I would have no hesitation recommending the programme to other employers.”

If you would like to discuss short-term and part-time placement options please contact Philip Houston, telephone 028 9036 6010 or email p.houston@ulster.ac.uk

A FUSION of the best ideas and best brains Twenty of Ireland’s most innovative companies came together to celebrate their achievements as part of the University of Ulster and InterTradeIreland FUSION Programme. Speaking at the InterTradeIreland-sponsored celebration and networking event in Dunboyne, Tim Brundle, Director of Innovation at the University of Ulster, said: “One of the most exciting aspects of the FUSION programme is that it links industry and academia, and helps the knowledge exchange between them – and it does that in a very efficient way. It’s about unlocking the knowledge contained in academia and capitalising on it within industry, and is probably the most efficient and effective mechanism for knowledge exchange in western Europe.” “It brings the best ideas together with the best brains, together with the companies with the greatest need for innovation solutions – that’s why it has been so successful across Ireland.” Launched in 2001, the programme has now supported the development of over 200 partnerships across the island, with businesses reporting over £25m in benefits accruing from the programme.

If you have any comments on this publication, please send them to: u2b@ulster.ac.uk