Manufacturers offered more support to stimulate innovation
A NEW initiative designed to help manufacturers secure more sales is being launched by the Manufacturing Advisory Service in the West Midlands.
MAS will unveil the ‘Inspire’ programme at a workshop in West Bromwich on October 3. Companies attending the event will be given an initial insight into the support they can tap into, which includes specialist assistance with understanding innovation, overcoming business hurdles, identifying market opportunities and validating new concepts.
They can then embark on the part-funded MAS ‘Inspire’ initiative that will give firms access to an innovation consultant for two days.
Roy Pulley, of MAS, said: “There is a misconception that innovation is used only by large enterprises and multinational corporations and that’s simply not right.
“Innovative SMEs are more competitive and able to grow and we are keen to make sure even more firms are in a position to improve processes, change the way they manage their supply chains and, importantly, develop and launch new products.”
He said 50 companies in the region had already transformed new concepts into reality and these ranged from the electric powered three-wheel Raptor vehicle to a new BBQ technology that is going global.
‘Inspire’ will provide companies with a dedicated consultant, who will work with them to complete an innovation review before matching them to one of three dedicated workshops in order to equip them with new skills.
They will then produce a growth plan that looks at critical actions and timeframes, potential funding routes and opportunities for further support.
The three workshops are all focused on using innovation to make manufacturers more profitable and each one offers something a little different. Depending on the outcome of the initial review, management teams can choose from ‘Squeezing the lemon’ (getting more profits out of existing customers), ‘Growing new markets’ and ‘Breaking the mould’, which is all about new products and services.
Places at the ‘Introduction to Inspire’ event in West Bromwich can be booked by visiting www.mymas.org/events
