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New innovation centre to help entrepreneurs of the future

Thursday 13 December 2012

Martin Slark

A new centre to help discover east London’s answer to Steve Jobs and Bill Gates was unveiled last week at UEL by the Chief Executive of a global blue chip company.

The Centre for Innovation Management and Enterprise, which is based at UEL’s Royal Docks Business School in the heart of the Docklands, will offer specialist advice and research to students, businesses and local partners about how they can develop innovative ideas and take them to the next level. 

With the modern business environment being so fiercely competitive, the need for businesses and entrepreneurs to keep at the forefront of innovation and deliver cutting edge products to the marketplace is more important than ever.

The centre was opened by Martin Slark, Vice Chairman and Chief Executive of Molex Inc – a worldwide supplier of interconnect products

Speaking at the launch, Martin Slark said: “The thing that has always excited me about UEL is its diversity. If you look at the leading companies around the world that do innovation, one of the things they have recognised is that the more diverse the team, the more innovative the product.

“People have also recognised the fact that if you want to succeed in life, you need different inputs from different cultures, different genders and I think this university, more than any other I have seen, represents that level of diversity.”

Nora Colton, Dean of the Royal Docks Business School, said: “The centre was made possible thanks to the generosity of Martin Slark and Molex Inc. There is a real need now for business schools to be innovative and to provide the next generation of creative leaders. Whether they end up working in a multinational corporation or a small or medium enterprise, they have to know how to get that creativity going, how to make it real and how to make it work.”

During his time as President of Molex’s Far East region, Martin Slark began an MBA by flexible distance learning at UEL, graduating in 1992. In 2005, Martin returned to UEL to receive an Honorary Doctorate of Business Administration.

Notes to Editors

The University of East London (UEL) is a global learning community with over 28,000 students from over 120 countries world-wide. Our vision is to achieve recognition, both nationally and internationally, as a successful and inclusive regional university proud of its diversity, committed to new modes of learning which focus on students and enhance their employability, and renowned for our contribution to social, cultural and economic development, especially through our research and scholarship. We have a strong track-record in widening participation and working with industry.

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