THE University of Greenwich is to help Medway prosper by setting up a new department of urban revival and urging business to back it.

The Centre of Urban Renaissance is being established at the Chatham Maritime complex.

Working closely with local businesses and planning chiefs, the centre will look at how areas with a proud industrial past but an uncertain future can revive their fortunes.

Medway is one of 20 urban areas across Britain identified under a Government programme for reviving urban areas.

Professor Rick Trainor, vice chancellor of the university, said Medway was an exciting example of urban renaissance and the university was pleased to be contributing.

The centre, backed by Medway council and the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA), would use expertise such as land reclamation from other departments as well as recruiting other experts.

It would "make a practical contribution to the further development of Medway by understanding the key processes at work in urban renaissance", he said.

The business community would be approached to support the project. SEEDA is considering sponsoring some of the centre's activities.

In a separate move, the university has set up its first division of external and combined studies, basing it on the Chatham Maritime complex.

"It is an indication of the importance the university attaches to Medway and the surrounding area," said Prof Trainor.

Under the direction of Margaret Noble, who led a similar centre at Teesside University, it will offer expertise to business, schools and colleges.

Dr Noble said it would offer a great variety of learning opportunities to organisations outside the university.

"We want to understand what their demand for learning is and how we can best respond to it," she said.