New grants totalling more than £1.2 million will help Cornish businesses to exploit the expertise and facilities of the Combined Universities in Cornwall - in particular those of Falmouth College of Arts, the University of Exeter in Cornwall and the Peninsula Medical School. £850,000 will go to Falmouth College of Arts to be split over three projects - it will give businesses access to its new computer-driven design equipment, a writing centre will provide training and consultancy in professional and commercial writing, as well as a continuing education programme in collaboration with the University of Exeter in Cornwall and South West Screen, and Falmouth’s world-class experience in graphics, illustration, photography and fine art will be opened more widely both to businesses and to community groups. The University of Exeter in Cornwall gains a quarter of a million pounds to undertake technology transfer activities to support businesses that are active in conservation biology and environmental technology including renewable energy; and to provide expert mentors who will give intensive advice to small and medium environmental businesses. The final total of funding available could be much larger if these grants can be used to unlock matching funds from the Objective One programme. jeremy.richards@falmouth.ac.uk