Innovation helps secure Yorkshire business success

SUCCESSFUL Yorkshire businesses have emphasised the importance of using innovative ideas for firms to thrive and in some cases, exist.

North Yorkshire manufacturer Ellis Patents said the business has to innovate in order to survive.

Managing director, Richard Shaw, said the £6.5m turnover cable cleat manufacturer, which earlier this year invested £450,000 in the redevelopment and extension of its headquarters to expand its exports sales and product development departments, has recently won a £50,000 contract with engineering and electronics giant Siemens for a brand new, unique product.

“We’ve just done some fantastic work with Siemens. We created a brand new product for them called the Triton. We have worked with them before but this is the first time we have done something this innovative with the business,” Shaw said.

“In our business, we innovate to survive. What we sell today generates today’s profits, but what we innovate today creates tomorrows products. If we don’t innovate, we won’t be in business in five years’ time.

pic 1Shaw was speaking at a Round Table discussion held at Sheffield Hallam University hosted by TheBusinessDesk.com founder David Parkin.

Dr Malcolm Wilkinson is the chief executive of Sheffield-based biotech company Kirkstall, which develops innovative testing technologies. He said he believes it is important that companies get the balance between innovating and capturing change right.

“It is all about how we get our new ideas adopted by industry,” he said.

“You have got to get the balance between innovation and capturing change right. If we are constantly changing methods, parts, etc, in the business, then there is a danger we will lose control of it. But if we strike a balance, we can make sure we capture the innovation and deliver a quality product to the customer.”

In order to continue its growing success story, York’s Stage One – the creative company which built the 2012 London Olympic Cauldron – said it must continue to be innovative.

“We have the luxury problem of everyone knowing we have done the Olympic Cauldron – it is a frame of reference. It provides us with a platform for innovation,” Tim Leigh, client services director at Stage One, said.

“The business inherits people’s designs and then creates them. We see the designs and have to think how do we go about building it? That’s what drives us. Failure isn’t an option.”

Sheffield Hallam University works with businesses to help them shape ideas and explore new markets applying their expertise in niche areas to discover new ways to innovate.

Dr Chris Roast, knowledge transfer lead (digital and design) at Sheffield Hallam University said they want to understand business’s issues and help them find solutions.

“We look at how we can creatively match our skills to business needs. It is about bridging the gap for us. We want conversations with businesses about how our ideas can help with their business challenges,” he said.

Dr Mark Tock, business development manager, (health and wellbeing) at Sheffield Hallam University, added: “Our job as a business development manager is to try and spot opportunities and to recognise a problem or issue around innovation.

“As a university we have to develop the knowledge and bring it to businesses and then they can recognise the opportunity.”

Close