SUFFOLK business leaders were in Ipswich today to hear about the latest developments of the University Campus Suffolk (UCS) project.More then 70 representatives from a range of industries, including construction, recruitment, information technology and financial services, as well as the county's education chiefs, were at Suffolk County Council headquarters for a breakfast meeting with UCS project leaders.

SUFFOLK business leaders were in Ipswich today to hear about the latest developments of the University Campus Suffolk (UCS) project.

More then 70 representatives from a range of industries, including construction, recruitment, information technology and financial services, as well as the county's education chiefs, were at Suffolk County Council headquarters for a breakfast meeting with UCS project leaders.

UCS director of operations Richard Lister said: “It is an essential part of the University Campus Suffolk that it interacts with the community and particularly the business community.

“We hope that working with businesses will ensure the students have the right curriculum and the right experience.

“This is one of a series of roadshows where we are trying to get the message across but also seek opinion about the project.”

Sir Ivor Crewe, vice-chancellor of the University of Essex, was among the guests at Endeavour House, in Russell Road. He said: “This is an opportunity to explain what we think will be the impact on Suffolk and Ipswich as we establish UCS. From the beginning we want to serve the business community in Suffolk and engage the wider community.”

Geraldine Pennington, managing director of Pennington Surveyors Ltd, of Crown Street, Ipswich, said: I am very interested to see how far the project has progressed and how close we are to seeing it happen. It is a brilliant idea and long overdue. University Campus Suffolk will bring new life to the town.”

Due to open its doors in September 2007, 4,500 students are expected to be transferred from Suffolk College to establish UCS as the first intake.

UCS will include the Ipswich campus and a number of linked centres in other Suffolk towns. This county-wide campus will be known as the Suffolk Learning Centres.

The total cost of the scheme is expected to be £150million over ten years.

Weblink: www.ucs.ac.uk.