BVCA responds to the Prime Minister's Growth Plans
Responding to the Prime Minister's speech to the CBI Conference today, Simon Walker, Chief Executive of the BVCA, said:
"Universities and enterprise have at times seemed more like distant cousins than brothers and sisters. The economy of the future depends on bringing them closer together. Start-ups in Britain need a leg-up. The Technology Innovation Centres announced by the Prime Minister today could be a hugely important initiative. The BVCA has long advocated Germany's Fraunhofer Institutes as a model worth emulating in this regard and we are delighted to see that the Government has reached the same conclusion."
Simon Clark, Chairman of the BVCA's venture capital committee and managing partner at Fidelity Growth Partners Europe, added:
"We welcome the Government's plans for growth and innovation, for it is only by fostering young, exciting companies that Britain can remain a powerhouse for new and cutting-edge technology. We in the venture capital industry are committed to financing and supporting the next generation of world-class businesses, thereby creating high-quality jobs which will help Britain achieve the scientific and technological innovation that is crucial to our position in the global economy."
Notes to editor
- The British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (BVCA) is the industry body for the UK private equity and venture capital industry. The BVCA has approximately 520 member firms, representing the overwhelming number of UK-based private equity and venture capital firms and their advisers.