Tag: Innovation

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5G technology for the North East

The North East Local Enterprise Partnership and the North East Combined Authority have jointly investigated the opportunity presented by 5G technology for the North East region, and are highly regarded by industry and Government to be a key place to promote the advancement of 5G technology.  Unfortunately for our region, the recent DCMS funding for the Testbed and Trials Programme  “Urban Connected Community Project” was awarded to the West Midlands, but that does not dampen our ambition.  The North East recognises that it is in a strong position to promote the advancement of 5G technology in this region and is interested in talking to private sector partners about opportunities in this area.  Private sector companies who are interested in talking to us should contact Alan Welby, Innovation Director at [email protected].  We recognise that due to the cutting edge nature of the technology, potential private sector partners may only be prepared to enter into discussions with us under confidentiality arrangements.

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In conversation with North East LEP chair, Andrew Hodgson

The North East economy is front and centre of Government investment this week aimed at capitalising on our industrial strengths and building our infrastructure.

 

A series of announcements to coincide with the Government’s Cabinet meeting at the Sage Gateshead brings the prospect of new high quality jobs in the energy sector, faster more frequent journeys on the East Coast Main Line and extra funding and responsibilities for Local Enterprise Partnerships to help drive regional economic growth.

It represents a real vote of confidence in the North East and the course of action it is pursuing to create 100,000 more and better jobs by 2024 through investment into sectors of high business growth opportunity.

The Government announcements recognise the pioneering work being carried out in the North East to embed innovation into our economy.

The Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult at Blyth will benefit from part of a £180m funding package over the next five years to bolster its cutting edge research and development activity.

The energy sector is a real North East success story and the North East LEP has just appointed Andrew Clark to lead work in this sector to help maximise its potential.

His knowledge and expertise as sector programme lead will be invaluable in bringing together public and private sector organisations to create a far reaching energy strategy.

A commitment by Government to invest £780m into major upgrades on the East Coast Main Line – to be completed by the early 2020s – is a great first step in giving passengers faster, more frequent journeys, which is in turn great news for new and existing businesses through improved connectivity to markets.

Greg Clark, Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, also announced that the North East is among six areas around the country being asked to develop local industrial strategies to create more opportunities and growth.

The national LEP Review was also published on Tuesday which is a welcome move by Government. It provides clarity on the role of LEPs going forward and reinforces the benefits of a strong business voice in leading strategic economic policy and investments. Government are making available an extra £20m to LEPs to help deliver these roles including the new local industrial strategies.

The fact that these strategies will be developed across LEP areas is extremely positive and will support the on-going delivery of the Strategic Economic Plan.

The North East LEP is recognised by ministers as a strong LEP and we are well positioned to meet the roles and opportunities set out in the review.

The Government also confirmed it has laid legislation in Parliament to make the £600m North of Tyne Devolution Deal a reality and the LEP is fully supportive of devolution in the North East in order to bring more local powers and decision making to the region.

However, it is also very important to note that the North East LEP remains committed to working with all seven local authorities to deliver the Strategic Economic Plan with the goal of creating more and better jobs across the region, and to develop the new local industry strategy together for the region.

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Funding available for business Incubator space

The North East Local Enterprise Partnership (North East LEP) is inviting Expressions of Interest from Incubator projects which match the strategic aspirations set out in the Strategic Economic Plan (SEP) and the innovation programme with significant potential to make a demonstrable contribution to the Incubator network within the region.

Projects must demonstrate clear links to the SEP and be able to provide a clear and coherent programme of business incubation support.

We anticipate that the North East LEP will be asked to fund around 50% of the capital costs of the (re)development incubator space (subject to State Aid). The maximum grant available will normally be up to a maximum of £500,000 however in exceptional circumstances, where there is clear demand and a strategically significant project is put forward, a higher level of funding may be awarded.

Prospective applicants, who can be from public, private or voluntary sector, are encouraged in the first instance to read the Project Call Information document which can be found along with other supporting information on our funding page.

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The North’s Life Sciences sector to gather at conference

The North’s innovative life science sector will be celebrated and showcased at an event in Newcastle tomorrow (3 July).

The BioFocus Conference, which is organised by Bionow and sponsored by the North East Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), will bring together businesses from the life sciences and pharmaceuticals sectors. It will also feature experts from the region’s universities and healthcare organisations and is designed to explore the latest developments in areas including ageing and clinical research. 

Bionow CEO Geoff Davison said: “The life sciences sector is one of the success stories of the North East and we have leading edge research happening here in the region aimed at tackling everything from cancer to ageing.

“BioFocus is a chance for the whole of the life science sector in the North East to connect and share knowledge on these important areas of the economy, research and policy as well as the factors affecting the sector today such as funding opportunities and Brexit.”

Richard Baker, from the North East LEP said: “Life sciences is an area where the region excels – we’re home to national centres of research excellence, a globally focused industrial cluster and world-leading health care organisations, and the sector is an integral part of our Strategic Economic Plan for the region which has led to a number of new projects being supported. 

“We’re proud to be supporting this event which will be an exciting day of discussion, ideas and innovation and to be working with the sector to address its opportunities and challenges.” 

The conference hosts, Bionow, is a not for profit membership organisation that supports life sciences across the North of England.

The event will include showcases from some of the region’s leading life sciences organisations including County Durham-based Stream Bio, who recently travelled on the Prime Minister’s trade mission to China and Newcastle’s NewChem Technologies which has grown from a spin-out from Newcastle University to become a well established company working with businesses across the world in the agrichem and pharma sectors. 

Keynote speakers will include Elaine Warburton from QuantuMDX and Newcastle University’s Professor of Pharmaceutics and Nanomedicine Moein Moghimi.

BioFocus takes place on Tuesday 3 July at the County Hotel in Newcastle. More details are available at www.bionow.co.uk.

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Rowers turn to North East innovation for Atlantic challenge

Visitors to Great Exhibition of the North are being invited to visit HMS Calliope on 29 June to see how North East innovation is helping a team of rowers take on the world’s toughest rowing challenge.

Team Tyne – led by North East businessman Phil Kite – will be rowing more than 3,000 miles as part of the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge in a specially designed boat packed full of innovative products, equipment and designs developed in the North East of England.

The boat will be on display at HMS Calliope as part of an exhibition showcasing the innovative products and services provided by the team’s sponsors, which include Womble Bond Dickinson, Deloitte, Power Roll, International AkzoNobel and Natural Nutrients.

Phil Kite from Team Tyne said: “Innovation and creativity is alive and kicking in the North East. We are a region developing products, services and ideas that will change the world we live in.

“We wanted to use the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge as a way to highlight some of the hugely talented companies and individuals working in the North East today. It’s been a fantastic experience learning about the innovations taking place right on our doorstep and our exhibition on the 29 June, during Great Exhibition of the North, is an opportunity for the public to meet the people involved.”

Some of the innovators exhibiting at the event include Cubix Eyewear from Darlington, who have provided Team Tyne’s eye protection; The All-in-One Company from Ashington, suppliers of the crew’s sleeping kit; Jotron UK from Cramlington, who have provided the transponders and VHF radios; and Mammoth from Newcastle who are providing scientifically developed mattresses.

Alan Welby, Innovation Director at the North East Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), said: “What Phil and his team have managed to achieve is open innovation in practice – they’ve presented North East companies with challenges and problems and those companies have worked with Team Tyne to develop ground-breaking products or adapt existing ones to offer bespoke solutions.

“This innovation and collaboration is what the exhibition will be celebrating and showcasing and is something we’re looking forward to. We hope other businesses and members of the public will come along to the event and see first-hand that if we’re a region producing ground-breaking products and collaborating effectively.”

John Tuton, Founder and Managing Director of Mammoth, said: “As a company with a clear focus on innovation, Mammoth is delighted to be supporting Team Tyne in its upcoming challenge. 

“We know that sleep is the absolute foundation for health and recovery and with the boat’s cramped cabin conditions, it’s our mission to provide the team with the optimal comfort for rest and rehabilitation – a vital part of their rigorous rowing schedule. 

“We are looking forward to joining the team and fellow innovators at this week’s event to showcase the finest in North East innovation and creativity to members of the public. Visitors are very welcome to stop by the Mammoth stand, meet the team and try out our sleep technologies for themselves.”

Team Tyne has also worked closely with the North East’s universities and colleges on everything from the design of the boat to its engineering. Catlin Bray, a 1st year Textiles students at Newcastle College, won a competition to have her design featured on the Team Tyne boat.

Phil continued: “We’re still looking for sponsors and supporters to help us on our Atlantic challenge so we can raise as much money as possible for our charity partners; Daft as a Brush Cancer Patient Care, The Stroke Association and St Oswald’s Hospice.

“The exhibition on the 29 June is a chance for people to learn more about our exciting challenge and meet everyone involved. It’s been a huge team effort from my team mates Claire, Dave and Guy and we’d love to bring more people along on the journey.”

The Team Tyne Innovation Ocean Rowing Exhibition, which is sponsored by the North East LEP, takes place at HMS Calliope on 29 June from 10:00-16:30. The exhibition is free to attend and charity donations are welcome.

For more information about Team Tyne and its Atlantic rowing challenge, visit www.teamtyneinnovation.com

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North East LEP supports SMEs to attend NWG Innovation Festival 2018

13 North East businesses are being given the chance to win £1,000 to support them in taking part in this year’s NWG Innovation Festival.

The North East Local Enterprise Partnership, in partnership with +ADD Strategy and Northumbrian Water, is sponsoring 13 SMEs to join one of 13 ‘sprints’ at the NWG Innovation Festival, which takes place from the 9-13 July 2018 at Newcastle Racecourse.

The ‘sprints’ ask societal and environmental questions that crack teams of experts try to answer during the five-day event. Businesses work to develop ideas and real-world innovative solutions that can be brought to life using design thinking techniques.

Last year’s festival resulted in innovative projects that are making a real difference to the world right now. These include the Newcastle Moss Tree, the introduction of the Refill campaign into the North East, Essex and Suffolk, and artificial intelligence projects including the ongoing development of Alexa skills for the company’s customers.

Alan Welby, Innovation Director at the North East LEP, said:  “Innovation means making the most of new ideas, products, processes and applications to develop new businesses and make existing ones more effective and profitable. It’s at the heart of what we do at the North East LEP and that’s why we’re delighted to team up with Northumbrian Water to offer 13 SMEs the opportunity to get involved with the Innovation Festival. It’s a fantastic opportunity – SMEs are a hotbed of creativity and ideas – this is a chance to work with some really big corporations to help identify solutions that will lead to real business opportunities for them.”

To be in with a chance of winning the £1,000 sponsorship – courtesy of the North East LEP – businesses must be formally registered SMEs in the UK or Europe and available to attend the full five days of the Festival.

For more information on the competition and how to enter, click here. The deadline for entries is midnight on Thursday 28 June.

Some of the Big Questions waiting to be answered at this year’s NWG Innovation Festival include: How can we improve customers’ lives by making the most of Smart technology? And how can innovation and tech improve Design, Construction Operation and Maintenance? And, what will the future of transport look like? Click here to see all this year’s ‘sprints’.

For more information about NWG Innovation Festival, visit www.innovationfestival.org.

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Achieving our potential through the application of digital technologies in the advanced manufacturing sector

James Davies, North East LEP Innovation Programme Manager, looks ahead to the North East Science and Innovation Audit which will examine the opportunities for the advanced manufacturing and digital sectors to link up, and invites companies to have their say……

The North East has a long, proud history of making things and particularly making complex things to be sold across the globe, but successful sectors never stay still. The type of goods and the way that we make these have always changed as new tastes drive design changes and new tools enable us to meet this demand at a lower price and/or higher quality.

The integration of digital technologies into our devices may have been around a little while now, but its potential is only just beginning to be fully recognised and unleashed. Bringing together digital technologies and other products will continue to stimulate radical changes to the products that people want and the way we make things.

Being in position to adapt to this change will not just happen on its own. We need to be able to innovate and change in the way we make things for us to make the most of this potential.

It is this thinking which lies behind our current project, our Science and Innovation Audit on the Application of Digital Technologies. This is the process through which we are looking at the ways in which we can use digital technologies to improve our already impressive manufacturing sectors’ competitiveness for the long-term.

Working across the North East Local Enterprise Partnership and Tees Valley Combined Authority areas, we are interested in understanding where these links are already working well and those where we need to do more to make sure local businesses are aware of the opportunities and have the right support to take advantage of these opportunities. Reflecting our particular local strengths we are currently focused on three manufacturing sectors: automotive, chemicals and pharmaceuticals as well as the digital strengths of the area.

With strong researchers based in our universities, experienced businesses and local networks bringing these partners together, the North East is a natural home to put this into action but other parts of the globe already have a lead on us.

Through the audit, we want to move beyond developing just a simple summary of what we are good at and where we need to work harder – we want to start the discussion to achieve our potential and understand what links, projects and support we need to bring together for long-term strengths.

This needs to be developed together as no one individual partner has all the answers. This is why we are inviting you to take part in a business survey. We want to hear from you whether you are from one of our digital or manufacturing companies so we can understand better what is already here and what linkages are already in place. We know there are great examples of this already working and we want to hear about it but we also want to know what is missing or what hasn’t worked so well or where you are not yet working with the other sectors.

You can find the surveys here: for Digital Companies and for  Manufacturing Companies

I’d encourage you to take part. It will only take 20 minutes and will inform us in understanding where the partnership of companies, industry bodies, research institutions and the public sector can work together and individually to support local companies to be competitive over the longer-term. The survey will be completely anonymous and we will not attribute any to any individual or organisation and will only be reported in collated form. We will be publishing information on the outcomes of the audit later in the year we will be organising an event in September to support this. If you would like to know more about the report or the future event please do contact:

Rebecca Furness, Innovation Programme Support Officer

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The bid to make 5G North East a reality: In conversation with Alan Welby

In the next few weeks, one city in the UK will be chosen to be the testbed for the next generation of 5G technologies, which have the potential to transform the way we live and work.

The North East LEP is part of the partnership, led by the North East Combined Authority (NECA), which has submitted the North East’s bid to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS). 5G North East is our bid to place the North East at the heart of the UK’s 5G revolution.

If we’re successful, it could make a massive difference to the regional economy, with conservative figures pointing to a potential £500m productivity increase by 2025 and the possible creation of 1600 job equivalents by 2025.

These are modest estimates and it’s likely that the actual figures would be a lot greater as new channels to global marketplaces open up and 5G increases the status of the North East as a place to live and do business. In addition, there would be up to £200m direct investment in digital infrastructure capability between 2019 and 2021.

The range of applications for these new technologies is vast. Every area of business and society could benefit – the way our children learn in the classroom could be transformed by the use of Augmented Reality (AR); we could see the advent of smart factories with increased connectivity allowing smart supply chains and production lines; the management of traffic flow and electricity in our smart cities could be transformed; and there are many ways we could unlock opportunities for improvements around social care and ageing.

Why should the North East be chosen? I believe we have everything needed to make the region a successful test area for these new technologies. We have the partnerships in place, with public and private sector buy-in. We have a strong culture of innovation here, with significant assets – the Stellium data centre in North Tyneside and the National Innovation Centre for Data in Newcastle city centre, plus CPI’s National Centre for Printable Electronics at NetPark in Durham.

Our large scale ‘open innovation’ approach would see businesses, universities, public institutions and communities working together with communication service providers and mobile operators, trialling and developing 5G solutions to a range of challenges in the urban, industrial, business, social and environmental sectors.

Another USP is our project-ready team which is led by 5G expert Xavier Priem who has extensive experience working for multiple telecom suppliers, their customers and network operators and who has established specialist 5G research and innovation centres and projects across Europe.

From a practical point of view, the region is the right size and has the right mix of cities, rural areas and transport infrastructure with our ports, rail links and airports providing opportunities to test how 5G can be applied to importing, exporting and the tracking of goods.

We’re ready to go and we have a strong and compelling case for the North East to be at the forefront of the UK’s drive to become a global leader in 5G enabled communications.

We know there is great support in the region for this bid and we want to take advantage of this exciting opportunity for the North East.

Alan Welby, Innovation Director
North East LEP

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Workshop facilitator opportunity

The North East LEP is looking to appoint a facilitator to support three workshops as part of the Applied Digital Technologies Science and Innovation Audit which is being led by a consortium covering the North East LEP and Tees Valley Combined Authority areas.

The workshops are part of our second stage of work and will produce a coherent, ambitious programme of activities to make the most of these opportunities.

Further information can be found here. Anyone interested in applying should provide the information requested in the specification to James Davies by midday on the 29 May 2018.