Early Assessment of the Digital Innovators Ideator

An early assessment of the Digital Innovators Ideator for the now defunct Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership. The Ideator builds on the demand-led approach to Innovation programmes on the Innovation Birmingham Campus by linking it with a programme of activities developed by Digital Innovators (DI) for young people. Helping to build essential soft skills sought by employers by deploying the students’ digital skills through structured work experience opportunities in the form of innovation challenge. The project draws on Digital Innovators’ expertise in providing specialist support in upskilling young people aged 14 – 24. Including, vocational learning for young people at risk of leaving education or those whose employment status has been affected by the pandemic, to access employment based on their unique strengths and competencies.The Ideator is delivered through a collaboration with employers based on the Innovation Birmingham Campus as well as corporates from the wider West Midlands area. The employers identify specific business issues that DI develops into innovation challenges which provide the basis of DI’s “learning by doing” approach where young people can build skills in a practical way by working on problem solving projects which generate ideas around potential solutions for businesses. This creates synergies with business support services that Bruntwood provides for its tenants on the innovation campus. It also provides another means of offering meaningful experience opportunities for young people businesses would like to attract as employees and contributes to achieving corporate social responsibility goals.Each Ideator project is staffed by a combination of learners (“digital apprentices”), experienced designers, developers, and project managers as well as seasoned industry professionals from Digital Innovators own staff as well as those from local businesses. Facilitating the collaboration between young people in the region and employers through live work projects to produce tangible business improvements. This combination of learning by doing and specialist training enables young people to develop their employability, by developing key essential soft skills and exposing them to professional workplace and work. To maximise wider economic benefits the Ideator has targeted young people considered to be at risk of becoming NEET, who would benefit from practical meaningful learning that allows use their existing digital skills within an innovation environment. This provides positive reinforcement in that have product or process for the sponsoring business as well as developing their soft skills as part of working in a team. It should be noted however, that these students were not currently NEET, only at risk of becoming NEET following the completion of their college careers. <br/

Megatrends and the West Midlands 2021: Adjusting Business Models and Operations

This provocation encompasses the challenges posed by megatrends, including the impact that Covid-19 and Brexit have had on business models and operations. It considers how these challenges should be seen in the context of longer-term trends, the case for change, and the consequences of inaction.The need for businesses to respond to the challenges posed by megatrends and external shocks, such as Covid-19, is paramount. Covid-19 has accelerated a number of trends, and some businesses adapted and adjusted their business models and operations quickly in order to deal with the new demand and disruptions in supply chains. However, there has been large scale disruption due to Covid-19 this has accelerated the speed of a number of megatrends in an extremely short period of time

Early Assessment of the Digital Innovators Ideator

An early assessment of the Digital Innovators Ideator for the now defunct Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership. The Ideator builds on the demand-led approach to Innovation programmes on the Innovation Birmingham Campus by linking it with a programme of activities developed by Digital Innovators (DI) for young people. Helping to build essential soft skills sought by employers by deploying the students’ digital skills through structured work experience opportunities in the form of innovation challenge. The project draws on Digital Innovators’ expertise in providing specialist support in upskilling young people aged 14 – 24. Including, vocational learning for young people at risk of leaving education or those whose employment status has been affected by the pandemic, to access employment based on their unique strengths and competencies.The Ideator is delivered through a collaboration with employers based on the Innovation Birmingham Campus as well as corporates from the wider West Midlands area. The employers identify specific business issues that DI develops into innovation challenges which provide the basis of DI’s “learning by doing” approach where young people can build skills in a practical way by working on problem solving projects which generate ideas around potential solutions for businesses. This creates synergies with business support services that Bruntwood provides for its tenants on the innovation campus. It also provides another means of offering meaningful experience opportunities for young people businesses would like to attract as employees and contributes to achieving corporate social responsibility goals.Each Ideator project is staffed by a combination of learners (“digital apprentices”), experienced designers, developers, and project managers as well as seasoned industry professionals from Digital Innovators own staff as well as those from local businesses. Facilitating the collaboration between young people in the region and employers through live work projects to produce tangible business improvements. This combination of learning by doing and specialist training enables young people to develop their employability, by developing key essential soft skills and exposing them to professional workplace and work. To maximise wider economic benefits the Ideator has targeted young people considered to be at risk of becoming NEET, who would benefit from practical meaningful learning that allows use their existing digital skills within an innovation environment. This provides positive reinforcement in that have product or process for the sponsoring business as well as developing their soft skills as part of working in a team. It should be noted however, that these students were not currently NEET, only at risk of becoming NEET following the completion of their college careers. <br/

Megatrends and the West Midlands 2021: Adjusting Business Models and Operations

This provocation encompasses the challenges posed by megatrends, including the impact that Covid-19 and Brexit have had on business models and operations. It considers how these challenges should be seen in the context of longer-term trends, the case for change, and the consequences of inaction.The need for businesses to respond to the challenges posed by megatrends and external shocks, such as Covid-19, is paramount. Covid-19 has accelerated a number of trends, and some businesses adapted and adjusted their business models and operations quickly in order to deal with the new demand and disruptions in supply chains. However, there has been large scale disruption due to Covid-19 this has accelerated the speed of a number of megatrends in an extremely short period of time

An investigation of post-translational modification of human papillomavirus E4 and the role of modified E4 proteins during the virus life cycle

Infection with human papillomaviruses (HPV) is the etiological basis for cervical cancer. The HPV E1^E4 protein is proposed to be a major regulator of the HPV life cycle and the multiple and diverse activities associated with E1^E4 suggest that it is a multi-functional protein. This thesis has sought to address the hypothesis that phosphorylation and proteolysis contribute towards the pleiotrophic functions of the E1^E4 protein, and has investigated the functional significance of these E1^E4 post-translational modifications during the HPV life cycle. This study has uncovered the novel finding that the E1^E4 protein of HPV type 18 (HPV18) exists as a phospho-protein within cells and is a substrate for multiple cellular kinases in vitro. The phospho-acceptor residue for cyclin-dependent kinases (CDK) 1 and 2 has been identified as threonine 23, whilst serine 58 is phosphorylated by protein kinase A (PKA). Furthermore, a cyclin binding motif ($^{43}$RRL$^{45}$) within the HPV18 E1^E4 protein is required for association with active CDK complexes and this association may influence CDK activity since the activity of CDK2-cyclin A was shown to be reduced in the presence of HPV18 E1^E4. This thesis has revealed that HPV18 E1^E4 is a target for N-terminal proteolysis, and this post-translational modification occurs during the HPV18 replication cycle. Key elements necessary for proteolysis have been mapped to a conserved leucine-rich sequence (LLXLL) present at the N-terminus of the HPV18 E1^E4 protein. Since E1^E4 expression is required for HPV18 genome amplification, N-terminally truncated E4 species may contribute towards its role in the replication cycle. To examine this hypothesis, mutations that attenuate E1^E4 proteolysis were introduced into HPV18 genomes and transfected into human foreskin keratinocytes (HFK). Mutation of the leucine-rich motif prevented efficient proteolysis of the E1^E4 protein during the HPV life cycle and resulted in reduced viral genome amplification within differentiating HFKs suggesting that efficient E1^E4 proteolysis may be required for this E4 function

Then: Reflection on the Importance of Furman as it was

When I entered the Woman\u27s College of Furman University 68 years ago, I had no clue what a long shadow that would cast

Evaluation of No_Code Pilot

No_Code project is a programme of activities funded by the Community Renewal Fund (CRF) led by Greater Birmingham &amp; Solihull LEP (GBSLEP). This report is an evaluation of the No_Code pilot

Evaluation of No_Code Pilot

No_Code project is a programme of activities funded by the Community Renewal Fund (CRF) led by Greater Birmingham &amp; Solihull LEP (GBSLEP). This report is an evaluation of the No_Code pilot

A review of the economic and social value produced through funding PhD students

UK Research and Innovation funded over £3bn into PhD-level study in 2022/23. The impacts of PhD study can have significant positive impacts on professional and personal development, especially for women, as well as generate significant returns for the individual, the Exchequer, industry, and university-industry collaborations. Still, there is a need to better understand the how PhD study fits into a place-based strategy, and civic role of universities, and their relationships with industry and place. This report shares the findings of a rapid evidence review into the economic and social impacts of PhDs to improve evidence and make an informed case for PhD study as part of a wider civic mission