ABSTRACT
This Chapter draws on some of the results of a three year university Outreach Programme to SMEs in Northern Ireland carried out under the authors’ supervision and completed in June 1995. Amongst the objectives of this programme which were achieved through an extensive programme of carefully pre-planned company visits to a sample of SMEs across a range of industrial sectors were:
To create and maintain a greater presence’ for Queen’s University in the local, small firm sector;
To listen to the problems being faced by smaller firms;
To obtain a better understanding of the smaller firm sector;
To learn of their views and perceptions of the University;
To make known to them the services which the University can offer.
