HIGHLIGHTS from a year-long project into leadership of small and medium-sized businesses have been revealed at Winchester University, Tate Slyfield writes.

Leadership in Transition to Sustainable Business: A Study of SMEs in South East England, run by the university's business school, studied local firms and developed a plan for sustainable business.

It brought together regional business leaders, academics and policy makers to showcase the research findings.

Winchester's Dr Elina Meliou and Dr Natalia Yakovleva, of Surrey University, visited small and medium enterprises (SMEs), interviewed leaders, observed work and examined company documents to see how sustainability was integrated within business models.

Dr Meliou said: “This project allowed us to connect our intellectual resources with the knowledge and experience of local businesses and community groups to address issues of mutual interest, such as sustainable and responsible management.”