It’s no secret that levels of R&D and innovation activity in the black country are lower than the wider region. And we know some of the reasons why including the simple fact that most of the regions innovation assets, including Universities and KTP, are based in and around Birmingham.
So earlier this year we sat down with various stakeholders to explore how we could change this, and in April we set ourselves a target to double the number of businesses formally engaged onto an Innovate UK Programme over the following 12 months. Since then we have worked closely with the Warwick Manufacturing Group, Aston Centre for Growth, Made Smarter and Innovate UK, bringing some of those Innovation assets into the City to make them more accessible – and guess what, we’ve now doubled the number of Wolverhampton businesses formally engaged with Innovate UK! And a big thanks to Eamonn O’Connor from Innovate UK, who has delivered a number of Workshops for us. Interested in starting your innovation journey? then please contact us at business.development@wolverhampton.gov.uk
So what is innovation
But what do we mean by innovation, how can a business be more innovative, what difference would an innovative mindset make, exactly what support and funding is available. Well to answer these questions and more, Innovate UK Business Growth are delivering a programme of Workshops and drop-in sessions in the City. Innovation comes in two forms - anything new to the market or anything to the business. So, innovation could see new products or services in the marketplace but equally it could be through processes and systems, which helps improve production, reduce costs, or drive efficiencies.
Our Innovation Workshops
Our next workshop is on 21st May and will be led by Eamonn O’Connor one of Innovate UK’s Senior Innovation and Growth Specialists provided an introduction to and overview of Innovate UK. Delegates will be introduced to the Innovate UK mission, strategic priorities, and the various opportunities offered to support innovation in businesses of all sizes. Content will include their funding programs, how they collaborate with industry and academia, and the resources available to help business ideas reach their full potential.
Is innovation support right for me?
We appreciate some businesses do not see themselves as innovative, and/or would not consider themselves eligible for Innovate UK support. That may be the case for some, but you would be surprised at the range and types of business that have received support. If you are wondering whether innovate UK Business Growth Support would be relevant to you why not take a look through some of their case studies here.
A helpful toolbox
Inspired by Taiichi Ohnos’ “5 Whys”, this free tool helps you to quickly get to the root causes of problems. By the end, you’ll have sorted between symptoms of the problem (which are often mistaken for the problem itself) and have a clearer picture of what you need to address! This tool is available for free as part of Steamhouse's growing Innovation Toolbox, full of handy interactive resources to help you innovate to solve problems! Also check out the Assumption Dump tool which you should always try before starting any project!
Follow this link for an insight into the full support from Innovate UK Business Growth.