Event will help Lancashire SMEs develop new products
As part of this year’s Lancashire Manufacturing week and the Lancashire Business Festival 2018, the University of Central Lancashire’s (UCLan) Innovation Clinic is supporting local SME’s by offering a free two-day product development workshop at the University’s Media Factory.
The workshop, which will be on 5 and 6 March, will equip businesses with the essential tools to develop product ideas from concept to market.
Iain Martin, Project Manager at UCLan, said: “Developing new products, whatever form they take, is an essential part of business success. Customers across all industries are increasingly savvy and want the newest, most efficient and effective up-to-date products. If businesses don’t innovate they are at risk of being left behind.
“The workshops are to help SMEs to mitigate the risk of developing new products by outlining the steps from initial concept through to commercialisation. We also show how business owners really understand their product’s potential and if they can develop a competitive advantage. More importantly we help them determine if a product can be made at a price and quantity that’s manageable and profitable, all before they start investing too much.”
"The workshops are to help SMEs to mitigate the risk of developing new products by outlining the steps from initial concept through to commercialisation."
The Clinic’s experts will be on hand to share their industry knowledge on design, costings, consumer awareness, competitor analysis, marketing and routes to funding.
Lancashire Manufacturing Week is now in its fourth year and is a programme of events that showcases inspiring success stories and provides access to a wide range of business support to help the region’s manufacturing businesses flourish.
This year’s inaugural Lancashire Business Festival will take place in March 2018. The venture is backed by key organisations and companies in the region including the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), MHA Moore and Smalley, the North & Western Chamber of Commerce, Shout Network, Lancashire Business View and Boost.
The festival will provide a focal point for business events taking place across Lancashire during March 2018.
If you have a product idea you wish to develop and require further information or you would like to book a place on the workshop please contact Toni Murtagh on 01772 894093 or email TMurtagh2@uclan.ac.uk
The Innovation Clinic is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund (£1.3 million ERDF) and is a part of Boost Business Lancashire (Growth Hub).