INNOVATION TASTER SESSION

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INNOVATION TASTER SESSION
Welsh Assembly Governments Technology
Innovation Team Design Wales Wednesday 3rd Oct
2007 Theatre Clwyd, Mold.

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TODAYS SESSION

• Overview of Technology Innovation Team.
• How Innovation Technology Counsellors can help
  businesses innovate.
• How Wales Innovators Network helps individual
  inventors/ innovators.
• How Design Wales help business produce creative/
  innovative designs.
• QA.

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Welsh Assembly Government helping Businesses
Innovate

• 20 Innovation Technology Counsellors pan-Wales
  with private sector experience.
• Technium Incubator Network.
• Innovation Relay Centres.
• Access to academia via KHW, CETICs.
• Tailored Innovation grants.
• Sector clusters.
• Other WAG bodies
• such as MAS, Design Wales etc.

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Successful Business Innovation
Good Project management
Think outside the box
Not mutually exclusive!
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Welsh Assembly Government
What is the role of an Innovation Technology
Counsellor (ITC)?
Provide free, impartial and confidential advice,
help and support
Who to?
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Welsh Assembly Government
Small and Medium sized Enterprises (based in
Wales) within the Manufacturing Sector
or Small to Medium sized Enterprises providing
a technology based service to Industry
or Individuals and new starter business wishing
to undertake research and development
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Welsh Assembly Government
How can we help?

- bring fresh and innovative ideas
- suggest alternative approaches
- advise on experiences of other businesses
- refer to other services or suppliers
- help to find alternative or new customers
- source external help to resolve technical
problems
- provide personal and honest working relationship

• - signpost to other possible funding schemes
• such as EGS/ Reactive Development /AIG / RSA/
• HELP Wales/ KTP etc

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Welsh Assembly Government
Why an ITC?
All ITCs are from a technology or industrial
background
ITCs cover a vast range of industrial sectors
e.g. printing, chemical engineering
biochemistry, electrooptics, engineering,
quality control, metallurgy, material science
16 ITCs based across Wales providing a network of
experience and assistance to clients and each
other.
In-depth knowledge of the businesses within Wales
Meet with over 2000 businesses (over 1000 new
businesses) per year
Awareness and participation within different
sector clusters and contacts e.g. automotive,
medical, electro optics, printing
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Welsh Assembly Government
What else?
Identify suitable academic institutions and
centres of excellence to help with research,
problem solving or developing new
technologies e.g. Universities, Manufacturing
Advisory Service, NPL
Work closely with partnership organisations
e.g. Flintshire Enterprise, Local Authorities,
Business Support Units
Provide guidance and financial support on
Intellectual Property matters e.g. Patents,
Trademarking, Design Registration
Source financial assistance to enable business to
innovate and introduce new technology, undertake
new research and development or to seek
independent, external expertise
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Welsh Assembly Government
How much funding and for what?
Variable rates of support for Filing of Patents,
Trademarks, Design Registration etc.
Grants for a business wishing to take a
technology step/and improve their manufacturing
capability typically, 50 up to a max of 15K
per year
Grants for a business wishing to seek external
expertise for product development, new research,
product testing, modelling, prototype manufacture
etc typically, 50 up to a max of 15K per year
Grants for a business or individual to undertake
Research and Development of new technologies,
techniques or products from concept to
commercialisation Variable rates for the nature
of the development and level of work
required. Typically, up to 15K for a feasibility
study, up to 100K for research work and up to
200K for final development up to production
stage. Will even support the Commercialisation/Mar
keting of the new technology.
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Welsh Assembly Government
Examples of support

• Business wanted to invest approx 100K in a
  Patent.
• ITC researched the status of the Patent and
  found that it was an
• invalid Patent and worthless

2. Manufacturing business struggled to keep up
with demand for a range of products as all
operations were conducted manually and
competition was winning business from them.
Business wanted to invest 80K in two CNC
machines but ITC worked with business to identify
the priorities and most beneficial equipments
to improve performance grant gained towards
purchase of Co-ordinate Measuring Machine
3. Client was becoming frustrated with rising
costs of one his suppliers of nylon bushes
sourced from outside of the County. ITC had
already been working with another business who
could manufacture any type or shape of bush,
in a range of materials. ITC suggested
contact with this alternative supplier (5 miles
away), meeting held with new supplier and
order placed for better quality components at
half the previous price.
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Welsh Assembly Government
What next?
Discuss your requirements, needs, concerns with
an ITC. Collectively, identify the most
effective and beneficial action to take to
resolve the issue. ITC will suggest the most
appropriate form of support and will endeavour
to acquire and secure that support (with your
agreement).
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Welsh Assembly Government
ITC Contact details for Flintshire
Dave Johnson ITC Tel [phone] Fax 01745
586259 Mob [phone] E-mail
david.johnson_at_wales.gsi.gov.uk
Ann Sudder ITC Tel [phone] Fax 01745
586259 Mob [phone] E-mail
ann.sudder_at_wales.gsi.gov.uk
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Wales Innovators Network
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Wales Innovators Network
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Structured Development Plan Checklist
Structured Development Plan
Design specification / feasibility
Novelty Search
Market Research
1. Searched for similar past and present
ideas/products
3. Identified the need
9. Proved it works
2. Searched for similar patents and registered
designs
4. Identified the competitionand their prices
10. Determined limiting factors
5. Identified the market(s)
11. Determined material(s) that could be used for
manufacture
12. Determined process(es) that could be used for
manufacturing
6. Estimated the size of the potential market(s)
1500 50/50 Innovation Credit
13. Estimated the likely cost of manufacture
7. Identified the most marketable aspect(s)
8. Identified the disadvantage(s)
Working Group
Review Panel
3000 50/50 Innovation Credit
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Case Study Anne Lloyd

• A florist by trade.
• Devised a template made of cardboard and tape
  hand-tied bouquet.
• October 2002 joined the Wales Innovators Network
  (WIN).
• Filed an initial patent application in March
  2003.
• Innovation Credits funding used to assist with
  the production of visual prototypes.
• August 2003 successfully made a presentation to
  the WIN Review Panel.
• Working Group set up.
• Displayed by WIN at the British Invention Show in
  2003 - Platinum Award Winner for the Best
  Consumer Product.

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Case Study Anne Lloyd

• Introduced to a Wrexham based plastics
  manufacturing company.
• The company undertook market research into the
  product, and investigated alternative
  manufacturing techniques.
• Initial Heads of Agreement.
• License agreement negotiated with funding support
  provided by Enhanced Innovation Credits.
• March 2004 PCT patent application filed by a
  Patent Agent, with financial support via Enhanced
  Innovation Credits.
• The same funding used to support a trade mark
  application in April 2004 for The Instant
  Florist.
• 2006 product is now available via Lakeland, Asda
  and Sainsburys with US distributor deal imminent.

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Wales Innovators Network (WIN)
Contact details for Flintshire Dr John Parkes
-WIN ITC Tel [phone] Fax 01745
586259 Mobile[phone] E mail
john.parkes_at_wales.gsi.gov.uk

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QA

• Over to you!