The Combined Universities in Cornwall (CUC) aims include the promotion of innovation through links between higher education and local businesses. The South West RDA invested over £12m to develop phase 1 of this flagship Objective One CUC project which was fully completed in October 2004 at a total cost of £65m.  
 
During May 2005, the South West RDA approved a further £3.7m funding contribution towards phase 2 of the project which will create new higher education facilities at campuses across Cornwall, which will result in more than 50 new university-level courses being offered by the CUC.  
 
The South West RDA also announced the acquisition of a 3.2 acre development site at Treliever Cross, next to the Tremough Campus for the creation of a new £10m business incubation facility. The aim of the incubation facility is to create new businesses on the back of university research, particularly in environmental sciences and the creative industries. The South West RDA will deliver the building in partnership with the Objective One Programme for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.  
 
The Agency is now working on a design for the proposed incubation scheme before submitting planning and funding applications with a view to work starting on site in 2006. The building will be 50,000 sq ft and will provide offices and workspace for new businesses emerging from or working closely with the CUC. 
 

During the summer 2005, the Tremough campus was selected as the South West Regional winner in the Regeneration category of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICs) Awards 2005. The RICs Awards scheme rewards projects that have regard for the natural and built environment. The award honours exceptional improvements to urban rural areas in a way that has contributed to economic regeneration at its very best. Tremough will now be considered for the National RICS Awards including Building of the Year. 
 
On 14 September 2005 the CUC team staged a PR event, seminar and reception in Brussels to share experiences of the CUC initiative. Both the Commissioner and the Director General for Regional Policy attended, and the event was considered a great success by all involved. Feedback suggested that the CUC project was seen to epitomise what could be achieved in other European programmes considered to be rural or peripheral.