The School of Jewellery was founded in 1890 at the request of the manufacturing jewelrs in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter. The school has continued its close relationship with the industry and has pioneered specific training courses and short courses designed to assist manufacturers with training in both traditional skills and new technology for their employees. Over the past 15 years, a program of innovative projects and concerted actions toward further improving the dialogue between the worlds of academia and industry has resulted in the setting up of the Jewellery Industry Innovation Centre, the first research & development and new product development centre created to assist the industry with design and new technology. This presentation will chart the history and content of these developments and will discuss the implications and opportunities for the jewelry industry globally.

Authors: Gay Penfold & Marie Carey