By Estelle Blanks, Executive Director at Innovation SuperNetwork. The latest opportunity from the Open Innovation 2.0LAB (OI2.0LAB) is an open call for SMEs in the North East to access cutting-edge support and guidance to help them innovate and businesses have just one more week left to apply. Successful applicants will receive a €5,000 voucher that […]
Category: Blog
Don’t Panic. Plan: How to navigate challenging economic and political times
Chief Executive at TEDCO Business Support, Carole White Anyone who has ever attempted to run a business knows that life as an entrepreneur is rarely smooth sailing. Setbacks and scares are all part of the process, especially during times when the economic and political landscape are, shall we say, turbulent. Dealing with periods of uncertainty […]
Five of the toughest questions a potential buyer might ask
When you run your own business, there are frequent and often familiar issues to resolve. However, when you come to sell, you face an unfamiliar challenge. Potential buyers will want to get under the bonnet of your business and ask all kinds of questions, some of which you may have never considered. Below are five […]
Understanding Confidentiality and Licensing for Your Business
Every business, big or small, will own or use some form of intellectual property (IP) but in many cases don’t realise that it’s one of the most valuable assets you can own. The four main types of IP rights are: Patents – which protects the processes that make things work Designs – which protects the […]
4 signs it’s time to scale up your business (and 6 ways to do it)
Carole White, CEO of TEDCO Business Support Taking your business to the next level is a big step, and one you should approach with a healthy combination of enthusiasm, pragmatism and caution. Not forgetting that you should seek out the right advice and support along the way. It’s easy to get complacent when it comes […]
Spiders’ webs and neurons
By Estelle Blanks, Executive Director at Innovation SuperNetwork The ENGIE Innovation Showcase a real-life analogy to innovation ecosystems in action. When I was preparing for my keynote speech for the ENGIE Innovation Showcase, I looked for clever ways to explain Innovation Ecosystems. So, when ENGIE descended on the Newcastle Helix on 19th June as part […]
Talent Acquisition and Retention – Critical for a successful business
By Ben Gilhespy, Operations Director at Engineering & Manufacturing Network. We hear a tremendous amount of positivity in the press around low unemployment figures and in reality, its true. Whilst the North East is currently seeing slightly higher unemployment than the national average we are still at very low levels, and recognise that it’s impossible […]
What does the NWG Innovation Festival have in store for 2019?
By Nigel Watson, NWG Group Information Services Director With Northumbrian Water’s biggest ever Innovation Festival only two weeks away the festival founder and creator Nigel Watson shares his thoughts on how it’s shaping up. Here at NWG we are hurtling inexorably towards our third Innovation Festival at an alarming, and quite unbelievable rate. It’s only […]
Celebrating the boring; a pragmatic approach to growth and investment
By Simon Green, CEO Innovation SuperNetwork Last week, I was part of a panel discussion at the Connected Investing event run by UK Business Angels Association and Innovate UK. The panel, which was expertly hosted by James Bedford from Tech Nation, highlighted some important points that I think are worth sharing more widely. Conversations about […]
BioFocus: Focusing on the vibrant and innovative Life Science sector in the North East
By Geoff Davison, CEO at Bionow Innovation is intrinsic to Life Sciences. The sector continues to produce new therapeutics, diagnostics, medical devices and pharmaceutical products at an incredible rate, with the North East of England an emerging hotbed for innovative and exciting research. This was evident at the Bionow Awards last year with 9 outstanding […]