Thursday, 01 July 2021
Professional services firm, KPMG, has launched a strategic partnership with the University of Nottingham to drive insight for clients and support the economic growth agenda across the East Midlands.
The partnership with the University of Nottingham will be focused on advanced data analytics. Specialists from the University’s Data-Driven Discovery Initiative (3Di) and KPMG will develop new research and provide insight that will enhance data and analytics services for businesses. The partnership will also host events to support the innovative ideas of small and medium sized enterprises across the East Midlands and provide data skills training to help close the digital skills gap.
The collaboration between KPMG and the University of Nottingham also forms part of the university’s new programme, Digital Nottingham, which has ambitions to transform its home city of Nottingham through data science, technology and innovation.
KPMG plans to launch a series of strategic partnerships with universities across the UK and has also announced a partnership with the University of Leeds focused on entrepreneurship and the scale-up of high growth businesses.
The partnerships will further strengthen KPMG’s place-based approach to community engagement, with the firm aiming to deliver 30% of its skills-based volunteering in government-identified social mobility coldspots by 2022. The collaborations will provide mutual benefit by enhancing KPMG’s award-winning community programme, working alongside universities to deliver further social value across their regions.
Over the past year, we’ve seen rapid change and disruption locally, nationally and globally, and we’ve also seen just how crucial data analytics and tech are in helping to navigate and overcome some of the challenges. So I’m delighted that we’re partnering with The University of Nottingham to combine our expertise with leading research and knowledge to bring value to our local economy.
Marc Abrams added: “This partnership puts KPMG’s commitment to the East Midlands at the heart of its plans and it also demonstrates how important it is for us as a firm to support our local communities. Together, we have a shared ambition and we will be able to harness our strengths and bring together the right people with the right skills to deliver value to local businesses.
“As the focus on recovery and sustainable growth continues, the importance of data and tech will only increase, so this partnership will be key in supporting the regional economic agenda to ‘build back better’.”
This partnership is an exciting step in our drive to boost our research offering in the area of financial services and financial technology. Digital Nottingham is our endeavour to transform our city; its potential; the skills and ambitions of our community; and deliver growth and recovery.
Professor Gathergood continued: “Through Digital Nottingham, the university will create new partnerships with business and the community that propel forward new opportunities for growth, development and regeneration, delivering high-skilled employment, quality jobs and a new growth narrative for our region. These powerful partnerships will help us accelerate our plans to be a home to an open community of innovation and discovery, creating a place with purpose in partnership with the city council, business and local community.”
Notes to editors:
About the University of Nottingham
Ranked 32 in Europe and 16th in the UK by the QS World University Rankings: Europe 2024, the University of Nottingham is a founding member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities. Studying at the University of Nottingham is a life-changing experience, and we pride ourselves on unlocking the potential of our students. We have a pioneering spirit, expressed in the vision of our founder Sir Jesse Boot, which has seen us lead the way in establishing campuses in China and Malaysia - part of a globally connected network of education, research and industrial engagement.
Nottingham was crowned Sports University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 – the third time it has been given the honour since 2018 – and by the Daily Mail University Guide 2024.
The university is among the best universities in the UK for the strength of our research, positioned seventh for research power in the UK according to REF 2021. The birthplace of discoveries such as MRI and ibuprofen, our innovations transform lives and tackle global problems such as sustainable food supplies, ending modern slavery, developing greener transport, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The university is a major employer and industry partner - locally and globally - and our graduates are the second most targeted by the UK's top employers, according to The Graduate Market in 2022 report by High Fliers Research.
We lead the Universities for Nottingham initiative, in partnership with Nottingham Trent University, a pioneering collaboration between the city’s two world-class institutions to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing for residents in the city and region we are proud to call home.
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