The SETsquared Partnership is the enterprise collaboration between the universities of Bath, Bristol, Exeter, Southampton and Surrey.

Established in 2003 and funded by the Higher Education Innovation Fund (HEIF), the Partnership is a focus for enterprise activity and new business creation for the five university partners.

Read about the history of SETsquared

SETsquared's region is roughly bounded by the M5, M4, M3 and the A31 - A35. As one of the richest areas in the UK in terms of GDP, the region is home to many leading research-based technology corporates, universities, public-sector research establishments and successful entrepreneurs. It is also within easy reach of London. Despite this, when SETsquared was created, the region had a lower-than-expected technology start-up rate compared to other similar areas, such as Cambridge or Silicon Valley.

Whether it’s an entrepreneur with an idea or a very early stage, high-tech start-up company – SETsquared’s mission is to help turn an innovative spark into a thriving, commercial business.

As well as business creation, SETsquared also has a role in emdedding entrepreneurial thinking and behaviour within the Universities that we support. We do this at a number of levels - through a programme of student enterprise activity and also by supporting researchers and academics to realise the commercial and social impact of their research.