Whitecap Consulting’s Lal Tawney and Foluso Laguda were recently interviewed on Northampton Local Radio Open4Business to discuss their thoughts on Innovation in Northamptonshire, and to outline plans to undertake an innovation ecosystem analysis for the county in conjunction with the University of Northampton.
Listen to the radio interview podcast
Northamptonshire is a highly innovative region with one of the strongest rates of business start-ups in the country. Today is home to successful businesses operating across multiple sectors including innovation & high-performance technology, manufacturing & advanced technology, logistics & supply-chain, food & drink and creative & cultural.
However, while the region is strong on start-ups – the area has been previously identified a scale-up “cold spot’. Initial feedback from Northamptonshire organisations suggests that collaboration between businesses and supporting institutions is crucial for developing the right skills and capabilities needed in Northamptonshire to capitalise on the fast changing digital and technological landscape.
Based on our experience gained in other UK regional ecosystem analyses, the proposed innovation ecosystem analysis for Northamptonshire will help to understand and map the county’s innovation capabilities, identify sector specific opportunities, and determine what is required to support the development and growth of the business community in Northamptonshire and surrounding areas.
Lal Tawney, Director at Whitecap Consulting:
“Initial discussions with local organisations about the analysis has been overwhelmingly positive. We are looking forward to working with the University of Northampton to gain further feedback and support for the analysis project, which we expect to start later this year.”
The proposed report would be freely available alongside Whitecap’s extensive tech sector publications that have been carried out for other UK cities – these reports have acted as “catalysts” for those sectors. These reports can be found here: https://www.whitecapconsulting.co.uk/publications/.
As a freely available report the project requires several “crowdfunding” partners. The report will offer regional and national exposure for supporting organisations, enhancing association with innovation and positioning as an active supporter of the regional technology sector. Partners will also have the opportunity to provide input and feedback which may offer opportunities to gain additional strategic insights as a part of the research.
If you are interested in taking part in the project and/or supporting as a sponsorship partner, please contact us via [email protected] or call him via our Milton Keynes office number on 01908 041228.