Inspire SW - Projects
The following projects have received funding through the Inspire SW programme:
Gloucestershire Year of Innovation - University of Gloucestershire
Young Innovation - Envolve
Business Innovation for Growth - Business West
Young Foresight SW of England - Young Foresight
NETMAP - Great Western Enterprise
PROFIT - Business Link Devon & Cornwall
Leading by Design - Business Link Wessex
Technology Panels:
- Regional Technology Panel;
- Food and Drink Business Technology Panel;
- Aerospace Business Technology Panel
VIDEO SW - University of Bath
Explore on Tour - At Bristol
CAD/CAM in the Community - EEF Western
Wild Ideas - Wildscreen Trust
Building Innovation Capacity - Great Western Enterprise
The University of Gloucestershire will be working to stimulate innovative practice amongst SMEs in Gloucestershire through a series of awareness raising events (the "Year of Innovation") and a novel method of innovation training using the medium of jazz performance. The Year of Innovation will include a roadshow of events and workshops centred on the theme of innovation, delivered at a variety of venues and locations across the county.
To find out more about Innovation Through Jazz please visit our Real Live Innovation case study Real Live Innovation - Jazz
Envolve will be working to implement a green business innovation challenge with schools and local businesses to develop innovative thinking in children aged 11-14.
Ten schools from Bristol, Bath, Midsomer Norton and Wiltshire have been recruited and linked to a wide range of local companies to develop business ideas to increase sustainability within the local economy. The overall objective is to build awareness and generate excitement around innovation and environmental sustainability issues.
Envolve Partnerships for Sustainability
The NETMAP project has been mapping the level of business to business networking which takes place in the South West, and how this impacts on the level of innovation in the region. The research work identified the purpose and function of the networks, developed a classification system on the nature of business interactions, aspirations of the networks and gaps/overlaps in provision. The initial work is now complete and the key findings from the work can be found at:
http://www.greatwesternenterprise.co.uk/Netmap Case Study.pdf
BIG West is leading a collaborative project to encourage innovation within small to medium sized enterprises. The collaboration links the Universities of the West of England, Bath and Bristol, and Bath Spa University College, and is supported by South West Screen and business advisory services. The project consists of two strands: one to develop a method of fast-tracking the market assessment of innovative business ideas for which normal market research data is limited ("Quickmark"), and the other to stimulate business-to-business collaboration to develop and implement innovative ideas, and encourage knowledge transfer opportunities, for commercial benefit ("Strategic Alliances").
Young Foresight SW received £531,000 to help develop an understanding on innovation and forward thinking in students aged 13-14 by linking students with ambassadors from industry to develop new ideas and products using their creative thought. This will include looking at future scenarios, the marketplace, new and emerging technologies, and responding to change. The overall aim is to provide a future workforce with the necessary skills to contribute to the knowledge driven economy. Young Foresight
Business Link Devon & Cornwall have been awarded £417,968 to develop a project which will encourage more companies to innovate through the provision of novel mentoring and brokerage support, and business to business networks. Five Innovation Mentors have been employed who will work closely with SME's in the sub-region, and broker in support to the SME as required following on from the development of an Innovation Action Plan. Participating SME's will also be encouraged to participate in business to business networking events, and in-company seminars and a 'peer driven' awareness raising programme. PROFIT
Business Link Wessex (working in partnership with the Design Council) have been awarded £519,567 to develop a project to stimulate increased innovation and growth in SMEs and the Creative Industries sector. This will be achieved through improved marketing of the benefits of good design, improved access to designers and tailored business support through intermediary organisations. The project is targeted at improving the understanding of business by designers, linkages between designers, SMEs and intermediaries and increasing innovation through the development of novel, well-designed products/services. Factsheet - Leading By Design
Three Technology Panels have been established using Inspire SW funds to increase the knowledge of, and potential business impact, of new technologies and technological change. The aim is to encourage SMEs in the region to maker greater use of knowledge for competitive advantage, and 'get to the future first'. Each Technology Panel is being managed by a University, with the support of HERDA.
The remit of the RTP is to look at generic new and future technologies which will impact on the SW region, and specifically those technologies which will impact on the two business sectors detailed below.
This Panel will look at specific new and future technologies highlighted by the RTP affecting the Food and Drink sector, with particular reference to food quality and safety, and provide the information in a novel format to ensure SMEs understand the implications of future technological change.
The University of Bath and HERDA-SW are working with Research-TV to capture 15 film stories of broadcast quality footage on leading edge research stories from SW universities. The films are released to thousands of news organisations worldwide through a number of news agencies. The objective of the project is to make businesses and the wider general public more aware of the region's innovation and research strengths. The HERDA-SW website has more details - HERDA South West
Video Downloads
Explore At Bristol will be working to achieve a greater understanding of science and technology amongst young people and the general public in the SW through the 'Explore on Tour' project. The project will be taking innovation out into the community using exhibits, expertise and best practice developed at the main Bristol Explore venue. The aim is to engage with audiences in an interactive way to raise interest and encouraging them to learn more about innovation, science and technology.
The EEF and partners in the Advanced Engineering Skills Project (AESP) have secured funding to introduce young people to innovation and advanced engineering through the use of CAD/CAM technology. The project will link business with schools in Devon & Cornwall via the regional SETPOINT with the aim of developing a greater understanding of leading edge technology and inspire young people to follow careers in the advanced engineering sector.
The 'Wild Ideas' project will develop a series of short films about science, wildlife and conservation issues. The theme of the films and films themselves are made by young people from areas who would not normally engage with conservation/science issues, working alongside the BBC and other local film-makers. The films will then be screened using a variety of innovative projection technology at venues and locations across the SW to engage with as many people as possible using satellite, wireless and mobile phone technology. Wild Ideas
This project will build on the earlier NETMAP work (see above), to develop a 'toolkit' to ensure business networks develop more innovative behaviour and cascade this down through their membership. The Building Innovation Capacity project will assist business to business networks to benchmark themselves against best practice identified through the NETMAP work, through the toolkit, hands-on training and diagnostic help and advice.