Innovative support offered to Devon businesses

Businesses in Devon have the opportunity to receive free support and expertise on how to grow.

Devon County Council has teamed up with the University of Exeter to offer business advice that will ensure they are able to develop new ideas, products, efficiencies and to identify new markets.

The “Innovation Fitness” tool provides an easy-to-use questionnaire to evaluate a company’s capabilities. With the help of a trained assessor, this is used as a guideline to offer a range of practical advice to improve innovation within an organisation.

The first fifty businesses to apply will benefit from a free diagnostic, funded by Devon County Council. Those who miss out on the free service can still take part – local business advisers have agreed to offer the service for a fixed price of £150. Devon-based businesses can apply online at http://innovatedevon.wordpress.com.

As part of the initiative, two free “Business Spark” events are being held, at Castle Hill, Barnstaple on Friday 22 March and at the Met Office in Exeter on Thursday 28 March (to book visit http://innovatedevon.wordpress.com). These high profile events will enable you to find out how to access the benefits of knowledge and innovation to improve your bottom line – without jargon and without breaking the bank.

John Bessant, Professor of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the University of Exeter, will present a master class at these events. Professor Bessant is an expert in technology and innovation management with over 25 years of experience in advising national governments and international bodies including the United Nations, The World Bank and The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

Devon County Council leader John Hart said: “We want to provide the best possible climate in Devon for businesses to grow and boost our economy. This initiative is encouraging firms to look at their business and explore how they can build and adapt. It's being led by people with considerable expertise and knowledge, so businesses will be able to access the best possible advice and support. This is a unique opportunity to hear first-hand, in a very accessible way, what elements of your business you can fine-tune to encourage innovation. With case-studies from local companies, and a full range of support organisations on hand, I believe these will be really useful and valuable events for a wide range of local businesses.”

Sean Fielding, Director of Research and Knowledge Transfer at the University of Exeter, said: “It’s great to see public and private sector coming together:  with the support of Devon County Council, the University and Devon businesses are putting their heads together to create new innovative business ideas and help grow the economy. The University’s Innovation Centre and Business School are already working hard to support innovation and thanks to the Business Spark events a much wider group of businesses will now be able to access their expertise.”

For more information and booking information go tohttp://innovatedevon.wordpress.com.