Hereford event will take the mystery out of innovation

Businesses from across the Marches are being invited to a free event which will take some of the mystery out of innovation.

The Marches Growth Hub and Innovate UK have teamed up to stage the workshop in Hereford next month to give businesses an expert insight into how innovation can help them thrive and grow.

Specialist speakers will cover a range of topics – including some of the funding available to businesses to help them innovate – at the 9am event on May 22 at the Shell Store on Skylon Park.

The growth hub – the business support service of the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership – says the event will demystify the issue of innovation.

Marches LEP chief executive Rachel Laver said: “If you want to hear from experts about how your business can be supported to grow and become more successful, this event is for you.

“The purpose of this workshop is to demystify innovation and highlight some of the support and funding available. Many businesses often do not realise how they are already innovating and what support is available for some of the work they are already doing.”

Speakers at the workshop will include Rachel Cheetham, Lawson Coombes and Eamonn O’Connor from Innovate UK, the UK’s national innovation agency which helps businesses grow through the development and commercialisation of new products, processes, and services.

They will examine just what innovation is, their role in helping businesses and some of the funding and support available to companies to help them grow through innovation.

There will also be a session on research and development tax relief with Mick Merrick of  Integrated Growth Solutions, and Barry Jones will discuss the Made Smarter programme which  helps manufacturing businesses adopt digital technologies, innovation and skills to grow.

There will also be networking opportunities with tea, coffee and pastries on arrival and during a break at 10am. The workshop is scheduled to finish at 11.15am.

For more details and to register visit https://www.marchesgrowthhub.co.uk/events/demystifying-innovation/