SPECIAL REPORT: Passion keeps spirit of innovation alive
ENTHUSIASTIC young businesses are helping to keep the spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation alive in Birmingham. Duncan Tift visited Birmingham Science Park Aston to talk to some of them.
Working with enthusiastic and ambitious people can be a rewarding experience for all involved, something Simon Jenner, head of incubation at Entrepreneurs for the Future (e4f), knows very well.
e4f, based at BSPA, is helping more than 20 fledgling businesses take their first tentative steps into the world of commerce. All are equipped with a passion for business that is infectious and encouraging in these difficult times.
“All of our businesses are passionate about what they do and this is reflected in their approach. They are keen to develop and by successfully tapping into the facilities available at the science park we are helping them to achieve their goals,” said Mr Jenner.
One of the most enthusiastic supporters is Dominic Cushnan, managing director of Mixed Reality Studio.
Designing websites – some utilising the latest 3D technology – he helps fledgling businesses similar to his own to achieve their first digital presence.
It is also pioneering Augmented Reality (AR) or Mixed Reality (MR), which is a visualisation technology allowing web users to see virtual information added over reality in real time.
He demonstrated the process at the showcase by turning guests into Transformer-style robots on screen simply by having them pose in front of a webcam with preloaded images.
“It’s really a bit of fun but it illustrates the type of thing we’re capable of and we think that this technology is really going to take off over the next few years and we want a piece of it,” he said.
Operating in a similar field but more established is Daden, which calls itself “a virtual worlds and AI solution provider”.
It designs and builds virtual worlds, left, for its clients and has special expertise in web and real world integration, as well as creating interactive virtual personalities.
The company recently won first and second places respectively in two categories of this year’s inaugural US Federal Government’s Virtual World Challenge (FVWC).
PICTURE GALLERY: e4f Showcase at Birmingham Science Park Aston
Another firm to have based itself at the science part is internet search engine optimisation (SEO) specialist, Majestic SEO.
The company provides Competitive Link Intelligence to SEO specialists and Alex Chudnovsky said he believed his business was the world’s most comprehensive backlinks provider, with more than one trillion links stored on servers, the result of more than six years work.
It enables companies from around the world to trace who is logging on to their websites in order that they can target their operations more effectively.
It has also developed a free tool for registered users that enables them to generate detailed charts, the like of which are rarely seen outside of the world’s largest SEO companies.
GoGo Sheets is one of the youngest companies to be based at the Faraday Wharf site.
It has only recently begun to market itself after finalising its product, an online platform that allows different web users the chance to instantly share and develop ideas on screen.
Amjad Karim, director, said: “It took us a few months to finalise the product but we are happy with it and we are now getting it out to market.
“We think that it will be of interest to schools and the NHS and so we are targeting those bodies first, however, it could work anywhere and there’s reason why corporate businesses shouldn’t be able to use it.
“It will allow businesses operating from different sites to bring their staff together and have them collaborate on-screen.”
Civico is another to tap into the technological resources available at the science park.
It webstreams live conferences and council meetings, allowing viewers to instantly interact with events.
Daniel Cremin said that as such, the business played an important part in helping to make the democratic process available to a wider audience.
He said: “We specialise in enabling local councils and public-facing bodies, through their meetings, conferences and events, to actively engage with citizens.
“Technology and the social web are changing democracy, opening up the process, and enabling citizens to instantly see what is happening.
“Say for example, there was a controversial planning matter coming up for debate. This system would allow people to see what was happening and allow them to submit their comments in real time.”
The company has recently returned from the United States where it streamed a conference in New York to an audience of more than 40,000 people across the country.
It is now hoping to persuade Birmingham City Council to take a feed, while it also believes it may have a role to play in raising public awareness during any referendum on Birmingham getting an elected Mayor.
Roads to Riches is developing new mobile technology for the recovery of platinum, palladium and rhodium from road dust.
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The concept is the brainchild of Birmingham graduate Angela Murray, left.
She said that since 1993 it has been compulsory for all new cars sold within the EU to be fitted with a catalytic converter. These reduce the emission of harmful pollutants from vehicles by passing exhaust gases through a matrix coated with platinum, palladium and rhodium (collectively known as PGMs).
During use autocatalysts are physically stressed, releasing PGMs onto the road side.
Roads to Riches is developing a commercially viable process whereby the precious metals can be recovered from the road dust, processed and sold on to industry.
Ms Murray, whose innovative idea earned her a place in the finals of last year’s Lord Stafford Awards, said: “We have been developing the process during the past three years and our aim is to have a working model of the collection machine up and running by the end of the year.”
One Midlands local authority has recognised the concept and is collaborating with the company to develop the process.
Scout 7 has successfully married the seemingly disparate worlds of science and football.
One of the most established companies on the science park, having been launched in 2001, it has developed an online platform which allows scouts to watch and report on players around the world.
Its clients include many of the teams in the Premier League plus their counterparts across Europe. The current database contains details on around 100,000 players in more than 120 countries.
Many clubs are using the system to try and reduce the reliance on players’ agents, who can demand millions of pounds for the services of their clients.
“We are delighted with the way things have progressed. The clubs like the service and it has grown to the point where we have around 40 employees, with operations in Germany, Spain, France and South America,” said managing director Lee Jamison.
“We have been based in Birmingham throughout our time and have always been happy here. We have no plans to go anywhere else.”
Another company just starting out is DataDiscretion, the concept of Birmingham graduate Jennifer Schofield.
She has developed a system for encrypting computer-based data using a special security protocol, which is applied using a licensed memory stick.
“It means you can access all your important data from any computer, anywhere in the world,” she said.
These are just some of the many firms to have developed their services through the e4f programme, keeping alive the spirit of science and innovation that was pioneered by the members of The Lunar Society all those years ago and which has characterised the development of Birmingham ever since.
Long may the spirit prevail.
The Entrepreneurs for the Future scheme is still open to new applicants. For further information contact Simon Jenner, head of incubation at e4f, on 0121 250 3503 or email Simonj@bsp-a.com. Alternatively, log onto www.bsp-a.com/e4f.
