Unlocking a new era of business

growth and productivity – spotlight

on innovation,

A Business Growth Hub Response

Richard Jeffery

Director of Business Growth

Tuesday 13 December 2016

Who we are…

We help entrepreneurs and growing

businesses in Greater Manchester

with the skills and support they need

to succeed, through:

• Enquiries line

• Networking/conferences

• Online resources

• One to one support

• Industry/sector specific programmes

• Workshops/masterclasses/clinics

• Partnership networks

Service response…

Making a positive difference

Looking to the future…

Identified challenges…

Survey headlines

Barriers to growth:

• Lack of staff or skills 30%

• Access to markets 27%

• Accessing finance 22%

• Access to broadband 14%

• Inadequate strategy/planning 12%

Support required:

• Increasing sales via marketing 44%

• Developing workforce 42%

• Expanding the workforce 39%

• Business growth advice 37%

• Accessing finance 37%

A characteristic of growing businesses is that they seek external advice

Innovation headlines….

• Accessing finance - Low levels of understanding of R&D tax incentives – 63% said they did not understand, only 10% did.

• Accessing knowledge – Low level of businesses accessing knowledge from universities over the last three years (18%).

• Developing skills – of the 22% of businesses experiencing innovation barriers, 7%, referenced in-house knowledge and skills, or structure for identifying and managing innovation as an issue.

• Accessing new markets – Enabling more businesses to commercialise Innovation. Exporters were more likely to be involved in innovative activity (87% against 79% for non-exporters).

Key innovation actions…

• Undertaking joint research to better understand why tax incentive take up is not higher.

• Collaborate with Innovate UK and businesses to increase investment.

• Building our collaboration with GM universities to increase access.

• Delivering a range of executive workshops to support innovation management knowhow.

• Supporting more businesses to access international market opportunities, with DIT.

Practical example

Improving access to research facilities

• Jointly funded Business Development Roles with each GM university

• Embedded in both Growth Hub Innovation team and university teams

• Simplifying a route through the front door

• Breaking down barriers identified in the Dowling review

• Focus on relationship building between business and HEI

• Developing pipeline of research and innovation opportunities