£2.9m for Software City graduates - graduate jobs

The University of Sunderland has secured £2.9 million of extra investment for the Sunderland Software City (SSC) initiative to stimulate graduate enterprise.

The funding from the regional development agency One North East and the European Union's ERDF Competitiveness Programme will be used to boost the software industry in the region and develop its knowledge assets and infrastructure to create further growth.

It is hoped more than 40 new businesses will be created on Wearside as a result of the additional funds, creating 47 new jobs and supporting a further 120 businesses.

Together with the university, the SSC project will aim to embed enterprise into the curriculum at undergraduate and postgraduate level by creating modules and specific programmes targeted at promoting and stimulating enterprise.

The investment will allow the university to support graduates and academics operating as fledgling businesses by running a series of enterprise seminars and workshops, as well as providing an environment to develop, grow and exploit commercial ideas.

John MacIntyre, dean of Applied Sciences at the university, said: "Funding will support product development and knowledge transfer activity amongst software companies across the region."