Innovation Avantage 2

spring 2009

In this issue....

6

Playing to win Meet one of the country's most passionate advocates for serious games, who tells innovationadvantage about their potential for learning and wealth creation

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Material advantage Introducing the new Centre for Advanced Materials and its plans to help regional researchers and businesses rise to key technological challenges

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Activating innovation How the new Innovation-University Enterprise Network led by Coventry University will give young innovators the entrepreneurial skills they need

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Competitive spirit Find out about the benefits of winning a prestigious Lord Stafford Award for innovation – and how to put yourself in the running for this year's prizes

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The green economy Why Professor Julia King of Aston University believes the green industrial revolution can start in the West Midlands

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Proof positive Introducing a new £5.8 million fund from Advantage West Midlands which helps businesses pay for the third-party costs involved with commercialisation

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Acceleratiang healthcare advances Inspiring tales about taking high-potential medical products to market with the support of Wolverhampton University's Competitiveness Centre

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Enabling innovation What a new partnership between WMG and the National Skills Academy for Manufacturing can do to help organisations overcome barriers to innovation

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Park life Why West Midlands' science parks have got what it takes to help local firms put innovation at the heart of their battle to survive the current tough times

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Digital healthcare How the new Institute of Digital Healthcare aims to translate the latest digital technologies into healthcare advances

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Eye-opening developments How life sciences, renewable energy and funding developments at Aston University are adding value for innovative regional businesses

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Made for innovation The Materials KTN looks at materials technology developments helping to accelerate the innovation process across the industrial spectrum

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Skill power How City College Birmingham is helping local businesses access the skills training they need for competitive advantage

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Open Box Publishing Limited and Advantage West Midlands accept no responsibility for views expressed by contributors.

Welcome to

innovationadvantage

Bringing the

innovation jigsaw to life Innovation. It's a simple word for an increasingly complex process. The reality is that taking a concept from laboratory breakthrough to business success involves bringing together a broad range of skills, support, finance and facilities. Being able to find the right pieces of the innovation jigsaw at the right time and at the right price has become a key competitive advantage. It's an advantage available to businesses in the West Midlands, which has one of the most dynamic innovation infrastructures in the country. We aim to bring it to life through innovationadvantage. To highlight the real-world value of the world-leading research going on in the region's universities. To tell you about the technological advances that have been turned into commercial successes. And to report on the resources that we hope will encourage and enable even more companies across the region to realise their own innovation success stories.

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The circumstances of a recession strip away some resistance to change. People realise in a situation of real difficulty that you have to get on with things and this gives people the opportunity to do things that in better times

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would be much more difficult to do

Lord Paul Drayson, Minister of State for Science and Innovation

innovation advantage 3

innovation briefing

Boost for bench to bedside research

On top of the world Research at West Midlands universities has been ranked among the best in the world according to the latest results from the prestigious Research Assessment Exercise (RAE).

Universities across the region are celebrating the findings of the 2008 RAE, a rigorous national audit measuring research excellence, which shows that they are not only producing research deemed to be of world-leading quality across a very wide spectrum of subjects, but also that many have taken impressive strides up the league tables since the last report in 2001.

The University of Wolverhampton has risen eight places in the national rankings, for example, with fields such as computational linguistics singled out for particular praise.

Coventry University received the highest rating of 4* in seven subject areas, 65% of Warwick University's research is classed as world-leading or internationally excellent and all research areas submitted by Aston University were ranked in the top 12 in the UK. Birmingham University, meanwhile, secured a top regional slot, with outstanding research in disciplines including physics, mechanical engineering and cancer studies. www.rae.ac.uk

Are nanoparticles harmful?

The University of Birmingham has secured funding to research the impact of nanoparticles on human and environmental health. Already in use in products such as suntan lotions, cosmetics, toothpastes, antibiotics and fabrics, nanoparticles have novel properties which make them attractive in industrial processes and consumer goods but which may also mean that they are potentially harmful. The £500,000 awarded to the University by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) will enable the creation of a new Facility for Environmental Nanoparticle Analysis and Characterisation (FENAC). www.bham.ac.uk

The West Midlands already has the largest concentration of clinical trials activity in Europe and a new £20 million award is set to expand capacity and get new treatments to patients faster.

The universities of Warwick and Birmingham will use the award from Advantage West Midlands to develop their world-class medical research into innovative treatments for problems like obesity and heart disease.

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This collaboration is quite unprecedented and represents an exciting opportunity for a vastly-expanded engagement with industry

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Professor Yvonne Carter, Dean of Part of the Science City initiative, the funding boost will mean Warwick can expand international-quality clinical trials activity in the region and Birmingham can develop a dedicated human tissue biorepository. www.birminghamsciencecity.co.uk

Warwick Medical School

Metal detection – with a difference!

In a project highlighting the power of innovation partnerships, two local companies have commercialised a unique metal detection system for MRI scanners which is saving lives and money from Dudley to Detroit.

The central magnet in MRI scanners is so powerful it can hurl a porter's trolley across a room, or rip a metal device from the body of a patient. Now, hospitals around the world can deal with this danger - which causes incidents during one in every 1000 scans – with the Ferroguard system.

The metal alert system was invented by Metrasens but through MedilinkWM and Advantage West Midlands' medical technology cluster it found Smallfry and the manufacturing expertise needed to realise the product's full potential. Smallfry helped enhance the styling and significantly reduce assembly time.

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A nine-year old girl in Dudley has already benefited from Ferroguard - the system detected two small toy magnets stuck in her nose, which may have been ripped through her skin had the MRI scan continued. www.medilinkwc.co.uk

innovation briefing

Will red tape savings stimulate innovation?

No slip-ups at Olympics

Companies in the West Midlands are saving ÂŁ150 million a year in time and money following cuts in red tape according to the latest progress report from the Government's programme to reduce the administrative burden on business.

This could be seen not just as a welcome boost for business in challenging times but also as a timely trigger for additional resources to be channelled into innovative projects! www.coi.gov.uk

Meet LARA, your new physiotherapist With the backing of Coventry University's Health Design and Technology Institute (HDTI), a local company has been able to fast-track development of a muscle-stretching device that could dramatically improve the mobility of multiple sclerosis (MS) sufferers.

Stretching By Design's lightweight, portable device, LARA (Leg Adductor Relaxation Assistor), helps patients stretch and re-educate the leg muscles whose tightening is a typical symptom of MS. After stress analysis work by the West Midlands Technology Network and prototype manufacturing by the HDTI (www.coventry.ac.uk/hdti/), LARA is now ready for field trials predicted to demonstrate that daily self-treatment is far more beneficial than weekly physiotherapy. www.coventry.ac.uk/hdti/

Innovation Events CeBIT 09

EPSRC Regional Meeting

3-8 March 2009. Hannover, Germany The top marketplace for digital solutions, trends and innovations, CeBIT brings together the industry, science, retailers, government agencies, the services sector, banks and skilled trades. www.cebit.de

19 March 2009. University of Birmingham The first of four annual events open to the whole academic community, this meeting will discuss the EPSRC's Delivery Plan and enable EPSRC to meet business contacts important to the University of Birmingham. www.epsrc.ac.uk

EPSRC Pioneers 09 4 March 2009. Olympia Conference Centre, London Connecting business people with pioneering research from around the world through a range of interactive stands, Pioneers also offers seminars providing practical help to build new partnerships. www.pioneers.epsrc.ac.uk

Innovations in Textiles 18-19 March 2009. Royal College of Physicians, London Organised by the Institute of Nanotechnology, this conference showcases smart, nano and technical textiles for medical, industrial and clothing applications. www.nano.org.uk

VS-GAMES '09 23-24 March 2009. Coventry University The first-ever IEEE International Conference in Games and Virtual Worlds for Serious Applications brings together the worldwide serious games community to share case studies, methods and theories. www.vs-games.org.uk

Experts at CERAM in Stoke on Trent, one of the world's leading materials analysis and quality testing centres, are helping to make sure that surfaces used at the London Olympic Games in 2012 are safe for competitors and visitors.

Working with manufacturers and architects, CERAM is not only undertaking slip tests, it is also advising on specification and installation across the Olympic site. www.ceram.com

Birmingham wins scientists bid The University of Birmingham has been chosen to deliver a national programme to encourage young people to study science subjects at university. The university will host the National Higher Education Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Programme designed to increase the number of graduates with the skills and knowledge to play an important role in creating a culture of innovation and progress. www.bham.ac.uk

review research and innovations. conferences. conferences.theiet.org/assisted-living/ -

Advanced Manufacturing UK 25-26 March 2009. NEC, Birmingham This is the new title for a series of high-technology manufacturing events including MEDTEC UK, Mtec, Machine Building and Automation, 3C, Practical Vacuum and IPOT/Vision Technology. The event will also include, for the first time in 2009, the Green Manufacturing Exhibition and Conference. www.canontradeshows.com

Hannover Messe 20-24 April 2009. Germany One of the world's leading showcases for industrial technologies, product ideas and materials, Hannover Messe encompasses over 5,000 exhibitors from 60 countries. www.hannovermesse.de

IET Assisted Living Conference

Naidex

24 March 2009. The IET, Savoy Place, London This new annual conference organised by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) brings together telecom operators, social services, caring communities and software and hardware suppliers to

28 April 2009. NEC, Birmingham The UK's largest event for homecare, disability and rehabilitation and a great opportunity to touch, test and compare the latest products and services. www.naidex.co.uk

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Professor Bob Stone: 'When you put young people in front of a serious games system and a traditional e-learning system there's no contest!'

Playing to win

The Birmingham team works closely with the Defence Medical Services in the development of future simulation for combat casualty care and mental health therapies

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The West Midlands has a window of no more than 12 months to develop a portfolio of case studies providing hard evidence and cost benefits for serious games

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Professor Bob Stone, Director of the Human Interface Technologies Team at the University of Birmingham, is a passionate advocate for serious games.

He tells innovationadvantage how his team's world-leading developments and regional collaborations are driving progress in virtual learning environments and what the West Midlands could do to accelerate progress.

What are serious games?

In essence, serious games are based on the same kind of technologies used for mainstream computer games products, appropriately tailored to deliver real-world interactive training and education applications that go beyond entertainment - but don't exclude it!

When did you realise their potential?

I'd already got the computer games bug in the late 1980s when I was invited to visit NASA. There I experienced a ground-breaking world-first immersive virtual reality system designed to train astronauts. I realised that this technology – primitive though it was - was trying to make the interface between humans and computers intuitive. Today it's clear that games-based training is capable of delivering engaging, interac-

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tive real-world simulations that allow people to experience and learn in an entirely new and effective way.

What excites you about these games?

Apart from the fact that they're affordable and accessible and can be used in so many different sectors? I have to admit that what really motivates me is being able to move on from the oldfashioned computer-based training legacies of the 1990s. Put young people in front of a serious games system and a traditional e-learning system - and there's no contest!

What's the big challenge in developing great serious games?

Serious games might use the same technology as action games, but how they are developed, delivered and tested is very different. Furthermore, developers must avoid the mistakes of the virtual reality era of the 1990s by ensuring that 'human pull' prevails over 'technology push'.

What do you mean by 'human pull'?

Games designers can come up with wonderful high-tech features with the 'wow' factor. But it's the exploitation of human factors that will deliver products that actually help people learn. No matter how 'good' the pedagogy, the capability of a serious game system to educate and train can be completely destroyed if content, fidelity and interactive technologies are implemented without a solid understanding of human-centred design issues.

How is your work contributing to understanding of these issues?

For the last five years, we have been looking at how serious games should be designed so that we can go some way to guaranteeing that the required skills and knowledge transfer to the user and from the user to their job in the real world. Two things are key - physical fidelity and psychological

innovation interview

Ahead of

the game Professor Stone's team at Birmingham University has played a key role in some of the most innovative serious games development projects in the UK.

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Games developers can come up with wonderful high-tech features with the 'wow' factor but it's the exploitation of human factors knowledge that will actually help people learn

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fidelity. What we have found is that high physical fidelity - incredibly realistic imagery, for example – doesn't necessarily endow training success. When we were developing a skills training simulator for keyhole surgery, in the 1990s, the most effective training environment turned out not to be an anatomically accurate 3D model of the human body but simple geometric shapes!

What sectors can benefit most from serious games?

I've been involved in defence research throughout my career and when serious games came into the frame, I was determined to show the Ministry of Defence how valuable and distributable they could be. The gaming skills of future generations of military personnel can't be ignored. Through our own projects, and particularly our role within the MoD-sponsored Human Factors Integration Defence Technology Centre, we are demonstrating the potential of serious games technology in training for weapons operators, for survival and fire-fighting on board submarines and for the disposal of improvised explosive devices, or IEDs.

instance, immersing children in worlds that haven't existed for centuries. There is also huge potential in business and healthcare. We are already witnessing the development of serious games to help individuals manage their own medical conditions and companies like PIXELearning in Coventry are spearheading developments for executive training and management processes.

How important is collaboration in this field?

Collaboration is vital. We are working with the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine in Birmingham and the Hollier Medical Simulation Centre in Sutton Coldfield on new serious games technology demonstrators which we hope to trial in operational field hospitals.

We are collaborating with a Walsall-based company, Digital Native Academy, whose technical competence and refreshing approach complements ours in the design and exploitation of appropriate technologies. We also act as consultants for the US Office of Naval Research-funded Pulse!! virtual healthcare project.

How do you see serious games being used in the future?

I see them adding to the national curriculum. Virtual heritage games could bring history to life, for

• An experimental 'desktop' Minigun game-based trainer has been developed not only to familiarise Royal Navy operators with the electrically-powered, close-range combat Dillon Minigun system, but also to address a number of key performance issues including the torque-induced 'kick-down' effect on firing.

What else is needed to drive progress?

The West Midlands has pockets of expertise and is known throughout Europe, the US, the Far East and Australia as a region that's serious about serious games. However, we can't rest on our laurels. Other regions are catching up very quickly. I believe we have a window of no more than 12 months to develop a sensible and sustainable strategy for the West Midlands, based on a portfolio of case studies.

I have no doubt that the provision of hard evidence and cost benefits for serious games is central to maintaining the region's standing and its ability to attract future opportunities.

What is the best thing about your job?

I get to work in the real world, with real people doing real jobs. Over the past few years I've flown with the RAF helicopter search and rescue crews, dived on board a rescue submersible and even a nuclear submarine and taken part in Army bomb disposal trials. I genuinely believe that technologies like serious games will only ever work if end users are fully integrated into the design process. To make a real difference in training and education, this integration has to take place in their working environment.

• SubSafe is a seroius games demonstrator for submarine safety training, in collaboration with the Royal Navy's Submarine School in Devonport. The project is attracting interest from the UK's Submarine Rescue Service, the Submarine Command Course (Perisher) for periscope awareness training and the Royal Navy's recruitment service.

The Human Interface Technologies Team at the University of Birmingham has been pioneering the development and uptake of serious games technologies since its formation in 2003. The team brings together award-winning, multidisciplinary researchers to focus on theoretical and practical humancentred research issues related to future interactive technologies. Current research includes wearable computing, defence human factors, medical simulation, virtual and synthetic environments, defence human factors and the Birmingham Serious Games Team. Call 07740 858901 or visit www.iecs.bham.ac.uk/hit/

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• A project based on Europe's first artificial reef, created by the scuttling of the Royal Navy's HMS Scylla, not only allows school children to explore a virtual model of the reef by piloting a robot submersible, it also features new software techniques developed at the University to simulate and study the behaviour of biological organisms and small ecosystems.

• The Alchemy project was originally conceived to demonstrate how low-cost gaming environments could be developed quickly and cheaply and has since moved on to demonstrate the deployment of unmanned air vehicles, personal air vehicle concepts and robotic ground vehicles.

innovation research

Material advantage The Universities of Birmingham and Warwick, along with Advantage West Midlands, have teamed up to create a Centre for Advanced Materials as part of the Science City Initiative. The Centre will invest in state-of-the-art equipment for advanced materials research, with the aim of building on existing worldclass expertise in advanced materials technology and creating links with regional business and industry. In these ways the partnership will help regional innovators and industry to rise to key technological challenges, compete in global markets and capitalise on new business opportunities.

The development of new products with improved performance and functionality depends critically on the development of advanced materials. It is to materials scientists that the world is looking for answers to key questions about battery efficiency, for example, and to help drive step-change innovations in areas such as medical devices and energy storage.

The new Centre for Advanced Materials (CAM) aims to accelerate the developments that will make a difference, capitalising on the two universities' existing scientific expertise to establish a new framework for collaboration and, ultimately, to enable commercialisation. For the CAM, which is supported by £19.4 million from Advantage West Midlands and the European Regional Development Fund, is geared up not only to advance materials research but also to create purposeful links with industry.

Creating new materials The CAM will initially focus on two different areas of advanced materials development – creation and characterisation and innovative uses. The first of these projects, Creating and Characterising the Next Generation of Advanced Materials, got underway last July and is exploring the generation and manipulation of new materials with control at the micro and nano scales. Topics include developing new nanostructured materials, advanced analysis of material properties, characterisation of the nano – and micro-structure and how materials interact with other substances.

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Research in advanced materials is fundamental to key economic sectors both locally to the West Midlands and worldwide

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Professor Pam Thomas University of Warwick Physics Department

It is research in areas such as this that will enable innovation in commercial fields such as nanoscale medical applications, energy generation and storage and lightweight alloys. This first CAM Project intends to investigate product challenges such as more efficient materials for batteries, improved energy generation from solar cells, functional energy materials, hydrogen storage materials and hydrogen generation technologies, magnetic storage devices and fault analysis of alloys.

Expanding facilities The project is investing £10 million in cutting-edge equipment across the two universities, integrated into research laboratories in physics, chemistry and metallurgy and materials departments. This huge boost to the universities' existing world-class research facilities will not only fast-track research into advanced materials, it's also expected to attract increased levels of R&D funding to the region.

'Research in advanced materials is fundamental to key economic sectors both locally to the West Midlands and worldwide', says Professor Pam Thomas of the University of Warwick's Physics Department. 'This significant investment through Science Cities in state-of-the-art equipment for collaborative materials research between Birmingham and Warwick is an exciting new development.'

Interacting with industry Another valuable development enabled by the CAM is the way the universities will engage with West Midlands businesses through collaborative initiatives and by supporting local industry. It will provide a range of activities so that businesses can access the expertise and facilities at both institutions - information sharing, networking and partnering opportunities will be offered at conferences, workshops and breakfast briefings. Bespoke business support will also be offered, such as involvement in collaborative research projects, contract research, characterisation and analysis services and consultancy to companies. The first of the breakfast briefings for industry will be held this summer and will showcase the research taking place at Birmingham and Warwick related to the first project.

Those involved with the CAM are convinced that its combination of research excellence and real-world focus is a winning one - for individual businesses and for the whole region. 'New materials and new methods for manufacturing them provide a platform for competitive regional economic development,' says Professor Richard Palmer of the University of Birmingham's Nanoscale Physics Research Laboratory. 'Investment in advanced materials research is already leading to the generation of new business opportunities and spin-off companies in the region.'

The Science City Collaborative Package is a joint venture, supported by £60-80 million from Advantage West Midlands, between the universities of Birmingham and Warwick as part of Birmingham Science City. Call Dr Mark Humphries, AM1 Project Manager at the University of Birmingham, 0121 414 6027 m.humphries@bham.ac.uk or Dr Emma Melia, AM2 Project Manager at the University of Warwick, 02476 150585 e.melia@warwick.ac.uk

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Advanced analysis of materials: a crystal structure of hybrid calcium phosphate; such materials offer a unique opportunity to study interactions that are key to formation of bone, the body's own hybrid material

innovation skills

Successful innovation is all about having the skills and confidence to do things differently – the new Innovation-University Enterprise Network will help the region's young companies develop both

Activating innovation Coventry University has been chosen to lead a new Government network that will give the region's graduates, young companies and SMEs the entrepreneurial skills they need to exploit innovation and survive tough times and fierce competition.

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With its reputation as one of the UK's leading universities for enterprise and entrepreneurial activity, Coventry University was a natural choice to head up the new Innovation-University Enterprise Network (i-UEN). One of four UENs unveiled by the Government last November to nurture entrepreneurial skills and make graduates more business savvy, the i-UEN will give individuals the skills they need to develop new and improved products, services and processes.

The network will increase the number of 'innovation active' firms in the West Midlands Dr

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'Although for many people innovation is linked with high-technology companies, it has become Clive Winters, Assistant Director, a crucial component of the Coventry University Enterprises modern business cycle for all types of businesses,' explains Dr Clive Winters, Assistant Director of Coventry University Enterprises. 'However, many SMEs and young companies don't have the skills needed to innovate successfully. Yet equipping them with these capacities is crucial for their success and the nation's economic health.'

opening doors between entrepreneurs and corporates. Our work will be particularly important post-recession, when we will have supported students in setting up their own businesses and given them the tools to link up with other entrepreneurs and big business.'

Building businesses Project partners CISCO and BT will work with Coventry University to help individuals embrace IT infrastructure tools key to business success such as broadband, mobile and Wifi. The Micro Enterprise Acceleration Institute (MEA-I), a not-for-profit arm of Hewlett-Packard, is also a partner. Coventry University has already teamed up with MEA-I to design and deliver its HP MAP programme aimed at up-skilling people working in West Midlands' micro enterprises in the use of ICT tools and techniques. As part of i-UEN, HP MAP will be incorporated into university courses and external programmes. Another partner, Prowess, which promotes women's enterprise support, will ensure the i-UEN addresses women's business ownership in a bid to reduce the gap between the number of male and female entrepreneurs.

Under the stewardship of Coventry University, there is every reason to believe that the i-UEN will make a clear and significant impact in the West Midlands, supporting an increase in 'innovation active' firms and productivity performance. 'We will raise the demand for higher-level skills, especially from SMEs, by building closer working links and increasing the number of people with graduate-level skills in the West Midlands economy,' concludes Dr Winters. 'We will also encourage more graduate start-ups and provide the environment for graduates to build their businesses. Our goal is to establish an additional 200 collaborative relationships with business every year.'

The i-UEN will focus on giving students, graduates and employees capable of becoming entrepreneurs or intrapreneurs - entrepreneurs within an existing business - the creative development, innovation management and collaborative working skills that underpin effective innovation. It will also support large and small organisations from both the public and private sectors in developing these skills and implementing associated technologies.

Coventry University Enterprises (CUE) Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of Coventry University Higher Education Corporation and is the vehicle through which all commercial, income-generating work is produced. Operating in a regional, national and international context, CUE supports the corporate aims and seeks to maximise the commercial potential of the University's skills, expertise and resources. Call 024 7688 7688 or visit www.coventry.ac.uk

Opening doors

University Enterprise Networks are partnerships between universities, regional development agencies and business managed by the National Council for Graduate Entrepreneurship (NGCE).

Designed to act as catalysts for closer engagement with business, universities and the public sector to boost Britain's competitiveness, four UENs are to be launched this year: Innovation, Nuclear, Advanced Manufacturing and Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM). Visit www.ncge.com/uen

The network's four-year business plan will be launched by ministers in April, after which Coventry University will bring to bear its wealth of experience in creating, supporting and connecting entrepreneurs. 'The Government is looking to push entrepreneurial graduates and we have a proven track record in this area, not least through the business support activity of our Institute for Applied Entrepreneurship,' says Dr Winters.

'Leading this network takes our work to another level, supporting individuals within organisations on creativity and ideas development and

innovation advantage 10

innovation awards

Competitive spirit Now in their 12th year, the Lord Stafford Awards are getting bigger and even more beneficial than ever. Not only are the Awards expanding again geographically this year, they will also give winners the kind of competitive boost that's particularly valuable in today's economic climate.

'To improve, to do and make things faster, better and cheaper is essential for survival in the modern global economy,' says Lord Stafford, the Patron of the Awards. 'Any number of excuses can be made for not making the necessary investment in innovation, yet in many cases the solution to all of these challenges can be found within universities.'

Impressed by the quality of some of the collaborations he saw as Pro-Chancellor of Keele University but also astounded at how little of it there was, Lord Stafford saw a need to encourage interaction between industry and academia. 'I saw all of this talent, but people had no idea to take ideas forward to the market place or how to maximise intellectual property rights,' he explains. 'At the same time, businesses which had the will and desire to innovate were finding every barrier in their way. A coupling of the two was essential.'

Winning advantage Established first in the county of Staffordshire in 1997, the Awards were expanded to the wider West Midlands with the support of Advantage West Midlands. Then, in 2008, the first East Midlands Awards were held and this year will see the first East of England Awards taking place too. Entries for this year's Awards are now being invited, with the winners to be announced at the Heritage Motor Centre in Warwickshire in November. The Awards night is always a high-profile event but, as previous winners will testify, the advantages of winning extend far beyond the glittering ceremony.

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The Lord Stafford Awards recognise excellence in engagement between business and universities and serve as a beacon to encourage other businesses to do the same

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David Wright, Chief Executive,

'Not only did it help raise the profile of the product but it also provided real credibility among potential investors and funders.' Now on the brink of final production, the EnergeeSaw will be supplied in kit form, with local materials used to build the main structure of the unit, reducing its logistics costs and carbon footprint.

Inspiring innovations According to David Wright, Chief Executive of the Manufacturing Advisory Service - West Midlands (MAS-WM), one of the Awards sponsors, Daniel was a classic example of what the judges look for. 'When we are judging we are really looking for people who have gone that extra mile in their collaborations and created something that is truly inspiring and innovative. Daniel worked not only with the University of Coventry to help get the idea off the ground but also linked up with MAS-WM to secure the right support to make the product a reality.'

Other companies deemed to have 'gone that extra mile' last year included Aynsley China, a traditional ceramics manufacturer in Stoke which linked with universities to improve its design capability, and neighbouring firm NanoTherics which was set up in 2007 to exploit a novel gene transfection technology. If you have collaborated on a project with a university or higher education institute you too could be a winner this year, whether you represent a public or private sector business or a business division within a large organisation. Entry couldn't be easier: application forms are available on the Awards website. We look forward to seeing you at the presentation ceremony!

Manufacturing Advisory Service West Midlands

'I would strongly recommend entry to the Lord Stafford Awards for those who have taken advantage of innovation support as it really does make a difference,' says a winner from last year, Daniel Sheridan. Graduate Daniel won the Entrepreneurial Spirit Category for his groundbreaking Energee-Saw which can generate electricity for remote villages simply by being used by children as a playground see-saw.

'Winning a Lord Stafford Award was a big boost to the efforts to get the Energee-Saw into the market place,' he continues.

The Lord Stafford Awards recognise and encourage the development of collaborative relationships between businesses and universities. Awards are given in four categories: Impact Through Innovation, Achievement of Innovation, Entrepreneurial Spirit and Knowledge Transfer Champion. Sponsors include BT, Advantage West Midlands, Swindell & Pearson, Contact, the Manufacturing Advisory Service - West Midlands, Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce and the region's universities. www.thelordstaffordawards.co.uk

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Daniel Sheridan (left) won the Entrepreneurial Spirit Award last year for his ingenious Energee-Saw innovation which he developed with the support of the Manufacturing Advisory Service – West Midlands, represented here by Chief Executive David Wright (right)

innovation opinion

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Developing new transport technologies and changing consumer behaviour have the potential to make a huge contribution to a reduction in CO2 emissions - and to the West Midlands' role in the new green economy

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Professor Julia King, Vice-Chancellor, Aston University and author of the Government's King Review of low-carbon vehicle technologies

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'Transport is the second largest contributor to CO2 emissions. What I find exciting is that there are already technologies available that could make a major difference. Conventional engine technologies can reduce CO2 emissions from vehicles down to 90g/km and when you start moving into plug-in hybrid and electric cars you're looking at zero tail pipe emissions for many journeys.

There's clearly a lot we could already be doing. We are not saying to people with large families who need a people carrier, you can't have it. We're saying look at the lower-emission models. The urgent challenge for the short term is to develop a strong market so industry produces more low-carbon cars and invests more in bringing existing technologies to market.

At Aston University we are trialling the new electric Smart car and our experience is that everyone who goes in one, wants one! This is how to help overcome objections to cars with different technologies that mean we have to think differently about how we travel. The Smart car might only have a 60-70 mile range, but the reality is that 97% of journeys are less than 50.

Local company Zytek, which is responsible for the electric Smart car's innovative drivetrain, is one of the suppliers that will help take the West Midlands automotive industry into the future. At a time when car sales are falling and redundancies are rife, Zytek is recruiting. At the other end of the size range, Jaguar Land Rover has exciting plans for plug-in hybrid Range Rover models. We want interesting, challenging jobs like this in the West Midlands - and our industrial heritage and regional priorities are giving us opportunities to create them.

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innovation opinion

The electric Smart car on trial at Aston University as part of a regional pilot to reduce carbon emissions, Professor Julia King says 'Everyone who goes in one, wants one!'

Birmingham City has set itself some very ambitious CO2 emission reduction targets.

There are discussions about a major electric vehicle and infrastructure project in and around Birmingham and Coventry. This would make a fantastic contribution to the Science City agenda and provide great stimulus for automotive manufacturers and suppliers in the region.

The West Midlands is also developing great strength in ICT, which is increasingly significant to give drivers real-time information about things like road conditions and, in the future for example, the availability of parking and recharging bays for electric vehicles.

The region has a tradition of collaboration between academia and industry that many areas would envy. We have 13 higher education institutions in the West Midlands, including several strong engineering groups with automotive interests and the Warwick Manufacturing Group. We continue to be a leader in the development of innovative university-industry interactions, including the Energy Technologies Institute and schemes such as INDEX Vouchers which enable SMEs to buy academic support.

Collaboration is going to be crucial if we are to move to the next-generation of technologies. We need to greatly improve batteries, making them smaller, lighter and cheaper, with faster charging times, so we can develop larger electric cars with a longer range. If hydrogen is to be a realistic fuel for the future we need to see breakthroughs in sustainable production and in storage. The high energy density of

liquid biofuels makes it vital that we also crack some of the novel approaches being investigated and can develop non-fossil fuel alternatives for aviation and large vehicles.

It's really important that we continue to support research in all these areas: we can't predict exactly where the big breakthroughs will come. It's also vital that companies continue to innovate. We need you not just to survive, but to thrive and thriving is about recognising that innovating now is as important as dealing with the other challenges around you. If you have ideas about what would help you do this during these tough times, talk about them. Local and national governments are actively looking for ideas to support innovative companies.

’

Professor Julia King has been a researcher and university lecturer at Cambridge and Nottingham and has held senior engineering posts at Rolls-Royce plc. She has been Chief Executive of the Institute of Physics and Principal of the Engineering Faculty at Imperial College, London. Professor King became Vice-Chancellor of Aston University in 2006 and works with Government as a non-executive member of the Technology Strategy Board and the DIUS Strategic Board and as a member of the Ministerial Group on Manufacturing. She has recently been appointed to the Committee on Climate Change. www.aston.ac.uk

innovation advantage 13

innovation funding

Proof positive Start-up and established businesses across the West Midlands have a new funding source to help turn innovative ideas into commercial reality. We look at how to access the £5.8 million Advantage Proof of Concept Grant Fund and how one fledging spin-out has the gaming industry in its sights after winning a grant to develop novel facial-mapping technology.

The Advantage Proof of Concept Grant Fund has a very clear objective: to help firms investigate, advance and protect early-stage innovative business ideas and to commercialise new innovations. 'We want to support innovations where the original creator has invested as much time and effort as possible but has reached a plateau from which they can only move forward by accessing third-party assistance,' explains Tom Blount, the Fund's Manager. 'We can realise a great deal of value for the region and individual businesses by focusing on innovations that have already progressed quite a way down the road but need help to overcome the final barriers.'

‘

We want to support innovations where the original creator has reached a plateau from which they can only move forward by accessing third-party assistance

’

Tom Blount, Manager, Advantage Proof of Concept Grant Fund Established and start-up firms can apply for money through this Fund, which is committed to making the West Midlands one of the premier regions in Europe for innovation and entrepreneurship. The Fund is overseen by the University of Warwick Science Park and provides grants of up to £30,000 to pay for the external costs involved with moving proof of concept ventures towards commercial viability. The money can be spent on funding prototyping, IPR fees, market assessment, business planning and management support - the key expenses involved with establishing the technical and commercial viability of business concepts.

Progressing ideas 'We know that by the nature of innovation not all of it will succeed, but we aim to make a difference by encouraging commitment to the progression of new ideas,' explains Nick Paul, Chairman of the Fund's backers Advantage West Midlands. 'The Fund enables work to be done earlier than companies could otherwise afford and often helps to lever in external finance into some early stage enterprises.'

The Fund has proved tremendously popular since its launch last autumn, a fact that not only speaks volumes about the

value of its focused support but also about the ease and speed of its application process. Accepted on a rolling basis, applications are dealt with by a Grant Award Panel that meets every two weeks. 'We endeavour to make everything as straightforward as possible,' says Tom Blount. 'We discuss the project early on, ensuring application forms are only filled in when we are confident there is a realistic prospect of success. Around 20 awards are made each month and we try to be as flexible as possible to support companies in the current challenging economic conditions.'

Enabling diversification One of the first firms to receive an award, Warwick Warp, has used its grant to fast-track development of a new application for its ground-breaking biometric algorithms. Having secured a strong foothold in the biometrics and fingerprint recognition fields, the Coventry-based firm identified the potential of its algorithms to rapidly map and render 3D facial models at a fraction of the cost of current high-end equipment using basic webcam technology. 'We are delighted by the support we have received through the Advantage Proof of Concept Fund,' says the company's Chief Technology Officer, Dr Li Wang. 'The grant is helping us to take our expertise in image analysis and develop innovative products with strong potential.'

Warwick Warp is now planning to set up a new company, Fizzog, to exploit the opportunity that's opened up with the Fund's support. 'We can see the final products reaching the market relatively quickly and easily and being extremely appealing,' continues Dr Wang. 'The technology could be used to create 3D models of players for computer games and internet applications using webcams. The mobile phone gaming industry is another obvious target. This is a fantastic opportunity.'

The Advantage Proof of Concept Grant Fund is backed by Advantage West Midlands (AWM) and the European Regional Development Fund and is designed to support innovation and product development in the West Midlands. The University of Warwick Science Park manages the Fund on behalf of AWM alongside partners Connect Midlands, Malvern Hills Science Park, University of Wolverhampton Competitiveness Centre and Staffordshire Business Innovation Centre.

Visit www.advantageproofofconcept.co.uk.

innovation advantage 15

Technology that will enable computer gamers to become 3D characters in their favourite games is demonstrated by Advantage Proof of Concept Fund recipient Dr Li Wang (left), Chief Technology Officer, Fizzog to David Grindrod, Director, Advantage Concept Fund, Tom Blount, Manager, Advantage Concept Fund Manager, John Baldwin, Registrar, University of Warwick and Nick Paul, Chairman, Advantage West Midlands.

innovation support

Accelerating

healthcare advances In the current economic climate, help with new product development can be an important aid for business survival – as two companies taking innovative, high-potential healthcare products to market with the support of the University of Wolverhampton's Competitiveness Centre can testify.

When former plumber Tom Rowley from Stafford had a smart idea to help smokers kick the habit after watching friends and family fail in their efforts, he set about developing his 'Six and Out' concept. The device uses a set of six cigarette holders which introduce increasing amounts of air when the smoker draws on the cigarette, gradually reducing the quantities of smoke and nicotine being inhaled. Starting with just one vent, smokers progress through to number six over a number of weeks, enabling them to wean themselves off cigarettes.

World-class design

Former plumber Tom Rowley with his novel Six and Out stop-smoking device whose development owes much to the facilities and expertise of three University of Wolverhampton schools

‘

With the help of the university, I have been able to produce a high-quality prototype which is currently being tested and has already seen interest from the Department of Health

’

Tom Rowley, Six and Out

Tom developed the first version of his groundbreaking device, based on the lid of a ball point pen, with the Different by Design project which encourages Staffordshire businesses to make better use of world-class design. He then turned to the Manufacturing Advisory Service - West Midlands (MAS-WM) for help to develop and laboratory test the product for market. MAS-WM referred him to the University of Wolverhampton, whose Competitiveness Centre offers access to a comprehensive range of services and facilities ranging from business incubator space to cutting-edge rapid prototyping technologies.

Through the Competitiveness Centre, Tom has received vital help from three academic schools. First, to test the concept, he was referred to the Rapid-PD project based within the School of Engineering and the Built Environment. Six sets of holder prototypes were produced using its sintering facilities in Telford – the previous prototypes hadn't been robust enough for the smoking simulation tests and their resin material could have affected the testing process.

Successful simulation The prototypes subsequently underwent testing in the School of Applied Sciences laboratories using a specially-designed smoking simulation machine, made up of two pumps and two traps for sampling tobacco smoke, and two types of cigarettes. The results were clear: the concept worked. Tom is now working with the Centre for Health Innovation and Development (CHID) at New Cross Hospital on further research and development of the product. The device is also undergoing clinical trials in the School of Health at the University of Wolverhampton and results are expected this May. Tom is in no doubt about the value of the help he has received from the Competitiveness Centre. 'With the support of the university, I have been able to produce a high quality prototype which is currently being tested and has

innovation advantage 16

innovation support

Martin Levermore of MDTI and Richard Hutchins of Advantage West Midlands with the innovative Hoo-kOn drip stand that has gone from the production line to the front line in Afghanistan and NHS hospitals with the help of Wolverhampton's Centre of Engineering Excellence

university has helped us bring this

heavy, expensive and difficult to use and move by one person. They recognised the need for a more transportable and lightweight stand that was also easy to clean and store. MDTI recognised the potential of this bright idea and turned to the University of Wolverhampton for help to develop the 'CAD model idea' into a manufactured product.

product to market in a matter of

Fast-track commercialisation

‘

The assistance provided by the

’

months rather than years

Martin Levermore, Medical Devices Technology International

already seen interest from the Department of Health,' he says. 'I am now looking to take the product to the next level once the trials have been completed and look forward to continuing my relationship with the university.'

By providing manufacturing process, material selection and rapid prototyping assistance, the Centre of Engineering Excellence was able to give the company a good idea of scalability before it proceeded to large-scale manufacturing. According to MDTI's Chief Executive Martin Levermore, 'The assistance provided by the university has helped us bring this product to market in a matter of months rather than years.' Support for MDTI was funded via the West Midlands Technology Network project, which proved to be an ideal mechanism to provide a staged response to the company's requirements.

The stand, which is made by Hitachi Maxell in Telford, bringing income into the local economy, is now a national stock item in the NHS. Used widely in NHS Trusts, its unique modular framework makes it easy to transport, operate and clean, improving infection control and potentially saving thousands of pounds each year. MDTI is also finalising a deal for its Hoo-kOn intravenous community infusion stand to be used by the Worldwide Health Organisation and internationally through the Red Cross and it is also currently being trialled by the RAF in Afghanistan.

Enhanced effectiveness Another innovative regional company with very good reason to appreciate the assistance provided by the University of Wolverhampton is Medical Devices Technology International (MDTI) which, like Six and Out, was a finalist at last year's Lord Stafford Awards. MDTI's collaboration with the Centre of Engineering Excellence proved pivotal to the development of its hugely successful drip stand. The Wolverhampton-based company, which has a detailed understanding of the medical devices market and has worked closely with medical institutions and the National Health Service, was ideally placed to commercially develop an innovation that came via the Wolverhampton Primary Care Trust (PCT).

The idea for the Hoo-kOn was devised by a team of Wolverhampton therapy nurses from the NHS PCT who had become frustrated with conventional drip stands that are

The University of Wolverhampton's Competitiveness Centre delivers and manages all business activity and offers a central contact point for all services to external organisations. The Competitiveness Centre can put you in touch with experienced staff in the university who can assist with high-tech business space, events, flexible and part-time learning, applied research and consultancy, support for new product introduction and development, student and graduate placements and training and short courses. Call 0800 068 5023 or email competitiveness-centre@wlv.ac.uk

innovation advantage 17

innovation skills

Enabling innovation

Clive Reynolds: 'We focus on what people need to do to adopt, adapt and embed significant value-added changes into an organisation'

Warwick Manufacturing Group and the National Skills Academy for Manufacturing have joined forces to help companies overcome barriers to innovation. The ideas behind the partnership's Transforming Capability programme have already saved Jaguar Land Rover £4 million and are now enabling businesses of all sizes to become more open to change and more capable of sustaining innovation.

having to adapt not only to technological innovations but also to a new project management procedure involving challenging cost and time targets.

'Innovation is not just about the light-bulb moment, it's about getting people to the point where they are receptive to change and to doing things differently and being able to embed this openness and ability to innovate into the culture of an organisation,' explains Clive Reynolds, Principal Fellow at Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG), who led the team responsible for the novel toolset which underpins the Transforming Capability programme. This was developed as part of the £72 million Premium Automotive Research and Development Programme (PARD), funded by Advantage West Midlands and aimed at enhancing the technological capability of the automotive supply chain.

Tried and tested toolset

A focus on removing obstacles to innovation from both the organisational and individual perspectives distinguishes the new collaborative programme - and appealed to the National Skills Academy for Manufacturing (NSA-M). NSA-M could see that the tools WMG had developed aligned with its learning philosophy and could be translated into effective programmes for manufacturers in all sectors.

Best practice example 'NSA-M wanted to take a radical approach to the way learning happens in organisations. It recognised that our toolset could bring to life its Learning Engine approach, which links training to business objectives to provide a measurable return,' says Clive Reynolds, who cites WMG's work with Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) as one of PARD's most significant successes. Jaguar's XF development team faced an unprecedented level of innovation,

With workshops facilitated by WMG researchers supporting and enabling the necessary changes in perspective and behaviour, JLR was able to bring the XF to market within just 29 months and with substantial savings. 'It goes beyond teamwork,' says Clive Reynolds. 'It's about helping individuals appreciate how innovation will impact their ways of working and how their behaviour needs to change to allow innovation to happen.

Human resources development comes into play, as do issues like leadership and vision.'

These are the issues that inform the 12 'pick and mix' tools that now make up the Transforming Capability offering. When industrial weighing specialist Avery Weigh-Tronix of Smethwick sought advice on the best way to implement its new business plan, the Competitive Capability tool was called into play.

A comprehensive business strategy and planning exercise triggered by restructuring had resulted in a change to the firm's focus and a tough set of priorities. A scoping workshop using the WMG tool clarified the relationship between the company's objectives and the contribution of key people. As a result, the service managers' role was redefined and a learning programme specified to enable them to work in a new way.

'We now have a people development programme for our service business which will enable us to improve the skills of specific managers and maximise the revenue and profitability of this key part of our business,' says Peter Branston, Avery's Managing Director.

Outstanding investment return The Transforming Capability team also used the Competitive Capability tool to enable Erdington-based photo-etching firm Precision Micro to adopt an innovative approach to developing manufacturing team leaders. Through a series of workshops, specific links were defined between the way the business was moving and the essential contribution of manufacturing and its team leaders. This activity also revealed a lack of clarity around market vision and planning, prompting the use of the Leading Vision Creation tool.

The outcome for Precision Micro was a more proactive marketing strategy and the setting up of a technical team to support sales by responding quickly to complex customer requirements. 'The company achieved a £4m benefit as a result,' says Clive Reynolds. 'JLR is also expecting to see further savings of up to £10 million from its latest use of the programme's tools.

It is clear that a very few days using the tools can give an extraordinary return on investment.'

Warwick Manufacturing Group is an academic department of the University of Warwick providing innovative solutions to industry and supporting some of the most advanced collaborative research and education projects in the world. Visit www.wmg.warwick.ac.uk

Jaguar Land Rover attributes £4 million worth of savings in bringing its new XF model to market to the Transforming Capability toolset

innovation advantage 18

UK Science Park Association

Aston Science Park

innovation support

At a time when innovation increasingly involves multidisciplinary expertise, clusters of knowledge within science parks – such as those in photonics, ICT and life sciences at Aston Science Park – can prove invaluable

Park life

60 new jobs have been created in the sub-region in small, intelligent businesses.

Research has shown that companies on science parks outperform similar firms elsewhere. Their support infrastructure might have been a key ingredient in tenants' competitive advantage for many years, but the real test will come in the coming months as recession bites. Are West Midlands science parks ready to help tenants fight back?

At a time when innovation increasingly involves multidisciplinary expertise, the opportunities provided by science parks to network are also invaluable, as Arden Photonics, a member of Aston Science Park's Photonics Cluster, has recently learnt. Arden collaborated with Aston University to develop a device for testing the capabilities of optical fibre communications systems, winning a Best Knowledge Transfer Award at the West Midlands ICT Conference for its efforts.

Business leaders in Birmingham are being exhorted to 'innovate, innovate, innovate' in credit crunch-busting seminars launched recently with the support of Aston Science Park. While driving innovation into the heart of businesses has always been the remit of the region's eight science parks, these seminars highlight the critical role innovation is set to play as businesses battle to survive tough times.

It is science parks' provision of precisely the right environment for innovation that Paul Wright, Chief Executive of the UK Science Parks Association, believes will secure their, and their tenants', future. 'Science park development is growing – employment in UK parks has gone up by 25% in the last year. I suspect they will experience a slower rate of decline than standard business parks where there are no support services or networks.'

Responding to real-world needs Ranging from pre-incubation mentoring to business planning and technology transfer, these services have become increasingly sophisticated in the two decades since the first UK science park opened. Aston's seminars exemplify the responsive support on offer in the West Midlands. The support programme at the University of Warwick Science Park, meanwhile, is a prime example of the breadth of this proactive assistance.

Warwick's programme enables businesses to connect with the university, with business angels and with experts to grow and evolve. Typical of its targeted services is Investment Readiness, which helps companies prepare to attract outside investment. The impact of this support is clear. In the last few months, around

'No sector is immune from the credit crunch but our statistics show that science park development in the UK continues to grow' Paul Wright, Chief Executive, the UK Science Park Association

Playing to scientific strengths Most of the region's science parks have technology specialisms, like Aston's in photonics, which reflect the university's research reputation. Healthcare features heavily at Birmingham Research Park. Coventry University Technology Park's Design Hub focuses on product design. Businesses linked to medical technologies dominate at Keele Business & Technology Park, while Wolverhampton Science Park has the Creative Industries Centre and the Malvern Hills Science Park is home to innovators in materials science for security and defence.

Their innovation agendas might be different, but West Midlands science parks share a common commitment to continuous development. Support programmes are evolving and centres opening - there will be a new Health Design and Technology Institute at Coventry later this year for example. And if the experience of the region's newest science park at Longbridge is anything to go by, they will continue to give innovators what they need to succeed.

Opened last year, the £100 million Longbridge Technology Park already has 30 tenants and 80% occupancy. Lisa Aytok, from tenant Select Research, sums up the science park advantage. 'With the nature of the occupiers and the level of innovation and technology within the building we felt it was an appropriate place to set up our base. The flexibility of the letting terms is also ideal for the changing nature of our business.'

The UK Science Park Association 01799 532050 info@ukspa.org.uk www.ukspa.org.uk Aston Science Park 0121 260 6000 info@astonsciencepark.co.uk www.astonsciencepark.co.uk Birmingham Research Park 0121 471 4988 brpl@bham.ac.uk www.brpl.bham.ac.uk Coventry University Technology Park 024 7623 6000 www.coventry.ac.uk/cutp Keele University Science & Business Park 01782 584321 www.kusp.co.uk

Longbridge Technology Park

Longbridge Technology Park 0121 222 5555 www.longbridgetechnologypark.co.uk Malvern Hills Science Park 01684 585200 enquiries@mhsp.co.uk www.mhsp.co.uk University of Warwick Science Park 02476 323000 contact@uwsp.co.uk www.warwicksciencepark.co.uk

Lisa Aytok of Select Research (left), says the level of innovation and technology within Longbridge Technology Park convinced her it was the right place to be

Wolverhampton Science Park 01902 824012 wsp-enquiries@wlv.ac.uk www.wolverhamptonsp.co.uk

innovation advantage 19

innovation research

Digital healthcare At a time when the NHS is striving to accelerate the use of existing technologies for patients' benefit, NHS West Midlands has set up a unique partnership with WMG and Warwick Medical School to strengthen the region's capacity to translate the latest digital technologies into healthcare advances.

The new £4 million Institute of Digital Healthcare, which will be based at the University of Warwick's state-of-the-art Digital Lab, will play an important role in the West Midlands' determination to embrace new digital technologies that are already in widespread use elsewhere. Bringing together technologists from the University's innovation group WMG, leading researchers from Warwick Medical School and key staff from NHS West Midlands will enable the exploration, testing and evaluation of advanced technologies with the potential to directly affect and improve patient care.

Assessing and assisting The foundation of the new Institute owes much to Lord Darzi's review of the NHS, published in July 2008, which makes innovation and technology a priority for the health service. Its establishment in the West Midlands is a direct response to both regional strengths and NHS West Midlands' plan for health services over the next five years, 'Investing for Health', which identifies a number of challenges for the NHS. Rising to challenges such as achieving full engagement with patients and delivering care closer to home will require advances in health assessment technologies and in assistive technologies such as telehealth.

‘

The Institute of Digital Healthcare will put the West Midlands at the forefront of many digital health technologies that will attract national interest

’

Digital assistive technologies have the potential to improve the quality of life of thousands of patients with long-term conditions - and of their carers. In the West Midlands alone, nearly 430,000 people over 75 have a long-term limiting illness requiring health and social care support and this is expected to grow by a third by 2020. Enabling patients to monitor their own conditions at home for analysis by clinicians in hospitals via telephone or email as well as advances such as 'virtual visiting' via teleconferencing, these technologies are central to the NHS vision for a future in which patients can live more independently.

Engaging and educating A second priority for the Institute's first few years is the testing of serious games as an approach for tackling important public health issues. Experts will explore, for instance, how computer game-style systems can be used to engage and educate young patients with weight problems. With nearly

300,000 children in the West Midlands currently classed as overweight or obese, the technology holds enormous promise for tackling the issue head on - and for benefiting the region's commercial games developers too.

The development of online health tools is a third priority.

Collaborative projects will create internet-based information tools covering health and healthcare services and online therapy groups to help people tackle lifestyle risks such as smoking. There are also plans to create a network for carers of people with dementia and a virtual clinic for people with diabetes. The final element in the Institute's initial plan involves exploring how simulated environments can be used to train the medical workforce of the future. Technology leaders will work alongside the NHS, exploiting the latest virtual reality techniques to develop and test team-learning scenarios – multi-sensory virtual environments enabling interaction with clinical and non-clinical processes and facilities.

The Institute of Digital Healthcare presents an unprecedented opportunity for local health services to work alongside leading lights in research and innovation to find solutions to the challenges they face. It has clearly set itself a bold agenda – but that's exactly what's needed if the region's vision of a technological transformation in the way patients receive care and interact with the NHS is to become a reality in the next five years.

WMG is an academic department of the University of Warwick providing innovative solutions to industry and supporting some of the most advanced collaborative research and education projects in the world.

Visit www.wmg.warwick.ac.uk The Digital Lab a £50 million multi-disciplinary research centre combining WMG's expertise with that in underpinning sciences including medicine, psychology, computer science and maths, facilitates major collaborative research opportunities, creates effective knowledge transfer between academia and industry and generates new knowledge and skills.

Visit www.digital.warwick.ac.uk

innovation advantage 21

Advanced tools based on the internet and online communications are set to revolutionise the way healthcare is delivered, medics are trained and carers are supported

Knowledge Transfer across games and digital media

Stuart Slater Director of the recently launched Institute of Digital Entertainment at Wolverhampton University

Within the current economic climate, any technological advantages West Midlands companies can gain from working with universities will enable them to participate in growing global markets such as games, virtual worlds and interactive web applications. To support this knowledge transfer, institutions such as the University of Wolverhampton have been working closely with businesses for several years to ensure that leading research can be applied to commercial solutions. This support is not only important for the survival of these businesses, but can allow some businesses to become leaders in their field. In the following article Stuart Slater, Director of the Institute of Digital Entertainment, briefly discusses a few of these projects having been one of the university researchers involved.

Virtual worlds When Daden Ltd, a leading virtual worlds consultancy, wanted to develop a next generation chat bot with emotions, a partnership was formed with Stuart whose specialist research area is agent emotions for games and virtual worlds. This collaboration between Stuart and the owner David Burden, was initially funded by the Index voucher scheme but has led to a continuing partnership in a range of projects, and the production of several leading joint publications. The work actually conducted in chat bots has helped Daden offer a next generation e-commerce and business solution and led to the company becoming a leader in the field.

innovation advantage 22

Chat bots like Daden's HALO (shown here) are human-like characters that users can ask common questions. They are quickly becoming an integral part of e-commerce. Halo features emotional behaviours based on expertise from the university.

Two way knowledge transfer Though it is true that expertise in Universities can be a benefit to the wider business community, it is also true that commercial organisations can also help universities work within both a commercial context and provide business expertise in collaborative projects. This has not been as true as when a leading digital entertainment company Synthetic Dimensions partnered on several collaborative projects with the School of Computing at the University of Wolverhampton. Synthetic Dimensions, led by Kevin Bulmer is the kind of company universities really need on board when working in emerging technology areas and to a budget. The expertise from Synthetic meant that many years of leading game development projects including top ten hits, were instantly available to a range of projects including simulation projects funded regionally, game developments and the development of gaming worlds for regional schools.

Moving ahead With the recent launch of a specialist Institute of Digital Entertainment working to support games and animation companies, as well as other businesses that wish to get expertise in areas such as web gaming, mobile games, virtual worlds or even animation expertise, the university hopes to be part of a wider drive to keep companies in the region at the forefront of competitiveness. Its expertise in gaming and animation, including running one of the most well known game research conferences worldwide, award winning animators and outstanding graduates including a recent BAFTA video game win for four of its students, clearly highlights a pool of expertise ready to meet the needs of companies in the region.

Contact Stuart Slater can be contacted on s.i.slater@wlv.ac.uk

innovation support

Eye-opening

developments Aston University has a long tradition of assisting regional businesses but as the economic downturn puts even greater demands on universities to provide pragmatic, proactive support we turn the spotlight on three of the most recent and valuable collaborative developments involving Aston.

One of the most effective and essential ways to help companies grow - especially in hard times - is to enable innovation and the INDEX (Innovation Delivers Expansion) voucher scheme administered by Aston University is a good starting point. Designed to increase knowledge transfer between SMEs and universities, the scheme offers vouchers worth £3,000 to companies to buy academic support from any of the universities in the West Midlands to develop an innovation.

Added-value vouchers The simplicity of the scheme overcomes the incentive problems on both sides of the university-SME equation. It empowers small firms to develop new relationships with universities that can lead to high added-value support, while also motivating academics to engage with smaller companies. Through the INDEX scheme, universities in the region have already supported innovations such as the development of optical fibres for use in telecommunications, reduction of CO2 emissions from vehicles and improved consistency of concrete mix to save power.

While around half of the INDEX companies had worked with a university before, it's telling that 70% of these worked with a new university for their INDEX project - which means that INDEX really is stimulating new, purposeful collaborations.

There's more good news: Advantage West Midlands, one of the scheme's major funders (along with ESRC, EPSRC and ERDF), has just provided additional funding for a further 140 vouchers. Available in the coming weeks, 40 of these are targeted at support from the business schools in the region to address leadership and management innovation.

Bioenergy boost As well as being well placed to provide this critical support for innovative SMEs, Aston is also determined to use its renewable energy expertise to put the region at the forefront of world class research in this increasingly important arena. Its European Bioenergy Research Institute (EBRI) aims to take results validated in its laboratory through demonstration in a pyrolyser/gasifier plant into proven operational systems, deploying innovative technologies by working closely with industry.

EBRI will promote and manage the implementation of bioenergy technologies at the local, regional and European levels, including providing operational facilities at pilot scale level to act as a demonstrator for industry and provide some heat and power to the Aston University campus.

EBRI will encourage collaboration between universities, public sector bodies and the private sector in developing bioenergy technologies. This extended knowledge base will be more effective – delivering solutions that have been tested at industrial scale as a result of the extensive facilities available.

Allergy advantage Aston is also leading the way in an under-researched healthcare area with the opening, in 2008, of an eye allergy centre.

The first of its kind in the UK, the Ocular Allergy Centre is helping in the fight against the eye effects of hay fever and animal and dust allergies – and offers opportunities for regional companies to develop novel expertise and products. The Centre is a pioneering collaboration, funded to the tune of £183,000 from Advantage West Midlands, between Aston University's Optometry Programme and Worcester University's National Pollen and Aerobiology Research Unit.

Part of the Birmingham Science City initiative, the £250,000 Centre aims to make the West Midlands a national leader in this emerging area of research. It is also hoped that it could potentially help local businesses launch extra services for their customers. According to Dr Andrew Todd, Advantage West Midland's strategic technology officer, 'Local optometrists and pharmacists can develop their business through engaging in the project and improving their knowledge and skills, which will lead to improved advice and better treatment for sufferers.'

Aston University's Business Partnership Unit provides a technology transfer interface between industry and the expertise and facilities of Aston University's four schools of study: Aston Business School, Languages & European Studies, Engineering and Applied Science and Life and Health Sciences. It acts as a contact point for businesses and also provides a link to the business support services of Aston Science Park. Call 0121 204 4242 Or visit www.aston.ac.uk/bpu For more information about the INDEX (Innovation Delivers Expansion) voucher scheme, which enables companies with up to 250 employees to receive £3,000 worth of expertise from any of the West Midlands' 13 universities, call 0121 204 3883, email: enquiries@indexvouchers.org Or visit www.indexvouchers.org

innovation advantage 23

Regional firms feeling caught in the eye of the economic storm can look for support from Aston University, whose Ocular Allergy Centre is just one of many pioneering collaborative projects providing outstanding innovation assistance for industry

innovation support

Made for innovation Around 70% of all product innovation is enabled by developments in materials technology, which is why the support of the Materials Knowledge Transfer Network is so vital to UK industry. Here its Director, Dr Robert Quarshie, looks at how the government's latest advanced materials strategy and two of its own innovative initiatives are helping to accelerate the innovation process.

A major challenge for the UK is to ensure that the ongoing investment in materials science and technology continue to translate into innovation and wealth creation by UK businesses. Making choices between different technologies is both challenging and complex. The Technology Strategy Board recently launched its Advanced Materials Strategy, at Innovate '08, to help UK plc decide which priority areas to invest in over the next three years or so.

Products and processes In the strategy's Foreword, Iain Gray, Chief Executive of the Technology Strategy Board, welcomes its technology-inspired approach, achieved through priority challenge areas, and its emphasis on the development of high value-added products and processes, which will lead to wealth creation by exploiting market sectors where the UK has recognised strengths. According to Dr Alan Hooper, Lead Technologist for Advanced Materials, 'The Advanced Materials Strategy complements the Technology Strategy Board's High-Value Manufacturing Strategy and will provide the foundations for its investment in advanced materials from 2008 to 2011, working in partnership with key players in innovative materials businesses.'

‘

The Materials KTN is committed to building on its successes in connecting UK business and academia and helping to catalyse their efforts to accelerate innovation with materials

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The Advanced Materials Strategy considers the technology and application areas in which a focus of industrial collaboration, catalysed by public funding, could accelerate significant returns for the UK within a five to seven year timeframe. Initial areas of direct relevance are materials for energy generation and supply, sustainable transport, construction and packaging. It also includes the development of materials for high-value markets such as healthcare, the creative industries and security and defence.

Touch and feel Climate change, energy sources, waste reuse and recycling are all at the forefront of most nations' strategic plans - and increasingly of consumers' minds. Regulation and taxation, as well as public procurement initiatives, are also contributing to this drive for sustainable development innovation. There are clearly opportunities for materials knowledge to be integrated with sustainable design concepts to meet this growing demand. Materials advances will be at the heart of solutions enabling, for example, the effective end of life deconstruction of structures and the recycling and reuse of product waste.

To help designers visualise materials more clearly, through touch and feel, the Materials KTN has developed a physical Resource Centre stocked with well in excess of 1000 separate materials samples. The Resource Centre is fast becoming a recognised resource to showcase advances in materials and materials selection to effectively address societal issues.

Skills and attitudes Innovation goes much further than supporting and strengthening scientific research and development, a fact demonstrated by the activities of the Materials KTN's Materials and Design Exchange (MADE).

Through this initiative, designed to help accelerate the rate of industrial innovation, the KTN is helping to equip young people with many vital skills and attitudes for innovation, including problem solving, curiosity, interrogation skills and multi-disciplinary teamwork.

The KTN has shown, on many occasions, that when multi-disciplinary teams from across materials science, technology, design and the arts tackle a problem together, the solutions they come up with are very different to those that emerge from groups of experts in the same field. Perhaps, with the help of the Materials KTN, the next step-change product such as the iPod, a creation that combined the talents of information technologists, scientists, designers and entertainment industry specialists, is just round the corner.

The Materials KTN is an overarching network of networks in materials, set up to bring together the views of all in business, design, research and technology organisations, trade associations, the financial market, academia and others in the value network across the materials community. The KTN provides a range of activities and initiatives to enable the exchange of knowledge and the stimulation of business innovation. Visit www.materialsktn.net

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Dr Robert Quarshie, Director of the Materials KTN, is convinced that the creative use of advanced materials by product designers is the key to innovations in fields ranging from sustainable development to healthcare and defence

City Council, deputy leader, Paul Tilsley, leading the digital revolution for Birmingham.

Birmingham holds key to 21C City Birmingham and the region are playing centre stage to a number of national and international initiatives that will establish the city and region at the forefront of innovation and creativity.

Already Birmingham is a 'Science City' delivering nationally leading research out of its five universities and will be established as the first UK 'Intelligent City' working in partnership with Microsoft and Coventry University. It is one of the seven cities worldwide collaborating with Cisco's 'Connected Urban Development' programme to become a global leader on developing environmentally friendly 'smart homes'. It has an internationally recognised and thriving digital media sector and one of the boldest regeneration plans including New Street Station, Eastside and Longbridge, some £17 billion investment.

Leading the digital revolution These developments presage a quiet revolution which is taking place underpinned by Birmingham's bid to be a leading digital city in 2010. The 'digital revolution' is all around us and via the internet we can participate in online communities, find jobs and entertainment services, keep in touch with family and friends and work from home or on the move. Our future global success and quality of life will be shaped by our ability to use technology effectively and exploit the opportunities it brings across all applications and walks of life.

Driving forward the digital agenda for the city is Digital Birmingham, a city wide strategic partnership working to ensure that everyone in the city - people, businesses and communities - can benefit from digital technologies. Initially set up by Birmingham City Council and BT, the partnership now comprises over 30 external organisations such as Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, AWM, BBC, Cisco, Microsoft, Vodafone and the Universities.

The city council deputy leader, Paul Tilsley, Chair of the partnership said: “By influencing digital growth and uptake across the city, we aim to create new jobs and wealth and to close the digital divide promoting greater social inclusion. It is only by ensuring that everyone in Birmingham can benefit from digital technologies can we create a city able to compete globally for trade, investment and tourism that will be central to its economic success.”

The key to a digital city is through the 3 'C's'

Exploring the opportunities of Virtual Worlds on Birmingham's Island in Second Life

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For Birmingham to realise its digital city dream, the 3'Cs' – connectivity, content and capability - all need to work together for people to really be able to harness the potential of digital technology. This means providing the infrastructure for a digital society, developing the personalised interactivity and access to content through convergent solutions that will help people run their lives and businesses more smoothly, and ensuring that a digital mindset is embedded in citizens from an early age.

Pam and Dave Slater use their digital TV to report missed bin collections and find out live travel information

Already the world of telecommunications is moving at a staggeringly fast pace. As part of the benefits, the council in partnership with BT has created one of the UK's first city centre wireless networks and has emerged as the leading provincial wireless city in the UK ahead of other major cities such as Newcastle and Liverpool. More than 77 per cent of BT's phone and broadband lines in Birmingham are now enabled on their pioneering '21st century network' (21CN) platform, the highest percentage of any major city in the UK to carry voice, data, video-on demand and broadband services.

Ian Binks, BT's Partnership Director for the West Midlands said: “As technology advances it is also starting to converge, which is why BT's 21CN is so forward thinking. BT is committed to investing heavily in the future to provide the best, most innovative services available to people.”

An infrastructure for a world class, digitally connected city Digital Birmingham aims to build upon the success of the city centre and its community wi-fi networks. A unified street network will utilise a seamless combination of wireless technologies and GPRS to link street lighting, car parking, traffic management, public transport and street waste to council systems.

By providing digital ducting for next generation connectivity in regeneration projects, and building networks into all future city development we aim to future proof Birmingham as a digital city so that we can meet the demand for cheaper, faster connection and the creative and digital media sectors can exploit the creative potential of high bandwidth.

Through the Next Generation Learning Project our aim is to ensure that all young learners in the city have appropriate access to a connected computer at home, a proven way of enhancing exam results and engaging parents. Already around 18,000 devices have been made available to children in their home in addition to the award winning 'Computers in the Home' project funded by Aston Pride.

Delivering interactive content when and where individuals want it form PC to mobile phone will create an informed city enhancing our work and daily lives. In Birmingham we are finding new ways to provide individuals with access to a broader and richer variety of public service content enabled by technology that not only informs but entertains. For example The 'birmingham bulletin' email information

Award winning Aston Pride 'Computers in the Home' project has helped to enhance exam results and engage parents in pupil's learning

service has over 120,000 subscribers, people can text vote for democratic services, take a virtual tour of the council house or participate in meetings through the virtual council chamber in Second Life.

Our home energy metering project is providing people with the real time information about the costs and environmental impact of their daily energy choices. For those with Interactive digital TV (idTV) in their home, they can push the red button on their remote to connect to Birmingham's 'Looking Local' channel, where they can access local services through their TV as well as latest job opportunities and travel information.

The city's Transport Summit in March will feature real examples of how technology is delivering information intuitively to provide the traveller in and around Birmingham with information at their fingertips to help them navigate the city and improve their journey. For example, Microsoft will be showcasing their proof of concept 'Intelligent Transport' system as part of the Intelligent City Programme, which aims to transform the information available to travellers to give motorists the guidance to find the quickest and fuel saving journey and a 'sat nav' application for public transport users.

David Jackson, the ICT Development Manager for Centro, said: “Digital technology is becoming increasingly prevalent in everyone's day to day lives and it's fundamental that we take advantage of the capabilities it gives us and keep pace with its advances to provide people with quick and easy access to public transport information.”

We are working on cutting edge technology projects that will deliver location aware mobile content and are piloting the use of the birminghamfiz, (the city's unique free information zone, developed as part of the wireless city network) to deliver targeted information aimed at enhancing the visitors experience that includes a piece of music that gets loud the closer you get to Symphony Hall, a funky video link to 'What's on" at the Birmingham Academy and information on how to get half price pies from the Urban Pie shop. Our Birmingham Island in Second Life is helping

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organisations like The Library of Birmingham and the University Hospital to explore the opportunities presented by virtual worlds.

Digital Birmingham is shaping Birmingham's digital landscape that will be home to our 21C businesses, digital entrepreneurs and innovators of the future and will help to ensure Birmingham's global economic success and quality of life for all those that live, work, visit and study in Birmingham.

birminghamfiz, is a unique free information zone available through the outdoor wireless city centre network

innovation skills

Skill power With global change and the economic climate forcing firms to focus on the ideas that will deliver competitive advantage and the people with the skills to make it happen, training has never been more central to success. It has also never been more accessible or more relevant, as City College Birmingham is proving through Train to Gain and Apprenticeships.

'Our Core Business Skills team is here to help meet the needs of local employers,' says Everton Burke, Vice Principal Curriculum Development of City College Birmingham. 'We go out and visit them and listen to their issues and ambitions so that we can put together individual training plans that will work for them.' In the case of more traditional job roles, where employees don't have formal qualifications and there is a need to build skills and confidence, the team might recommend Train to Gain. City College Birmingham is also a leading provider of training for apprenticeships, which enable the learning of new skills as well as underpinning knowledge or theory. Currently experiencing something of a renaissance as employers recognise the value of highly skilled workers to the future of their businesses, apprenticeships have more than doubled in the last four years in the West Midlands, with Birmingham seeing a 170% increase.

STOP PRESS STOP PRESS STOP PRESS

Skills Academy opens in Birmingham

The North West Skills Academy in Birmingham's Ladywood district was officially opened on 23 February 2009 by Lord Morris of Handsworth OJ DL. The result of a partnership between City College Birmingham, Birmingham City Council's Single Regeneration Budget programme, Advantage West Midlands and the local Learning and Skills Council, the ÂŁ6 million Academy provides a range of first-class vocational training courses for the local community. Focusing on hands-on training designed to develop practical skills in sectors with good employment prospects, courses include computing, construction crafts, health and social care, motor vehicle, retail, sports studies and Move on - Improve your English & Maths.

Removing barriers Train to Gain, a major initiative from the Learning and Skills Council, overcomes some of the key problems businesses keen to upskill their workforce can face: that they don't have the time or funds to invest in training and that employees are reluctant to come forward for it. The Train to Gain solution is simple: workers without full level 2 qualifications such as 5 GCSEs at grades A to C can be provided with free training to secure nationally recognised, work-related qualifications at a time and location that suits them and their employer. The scheme has recently been extended to include level 3 progression routes too. 'We go into a company, look at the roles in question and identify the relevant accredited qualification,' explains Everton. 'Then we assess employees as they go about their business, which can be anything from business administration to customer service to caring for vulnerable people.'

Securing futures Rescued by the Government in recent years and put centre stage in the training armoury, apprenticeships are on-the-job training schemes that typically take around two years and have the potential to make a real and meaningful contribution to a company's capabilities and performance. With over 180 different apprenticeships available across 80 different industry sectors, there are very few companies for whom this route isn't relevant. Research carried out just a few weeks ago revealed that one in five businesses questioned are hiring more apprentices to help them through tough times and two thirds believe apprentices are helping them to be more competitive too. 'This certainly mirrors the feedback we are getting from the many local companies whose apprentices we are training and assessing,' says Everton. 'Apprenticeships are a tremendously effective way of ensuring that your workforce has the practical skills and qualifications your organisation needs now and in the future.'

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Birmingham has one of the highest increases in the number of apprentices in the West Midlands thanks to the commitment of further education institutes like City College Birmingham to the realworld needs of its local business community

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City College Birmingham works with organisations to help them develop the skills of their workforce to meet the challenges of business today. It provides a broad curriculum covering training in business improvement techniques to NVQs in many vocational subjects as well as innovative and flexible bespoke training solutions. Call 0121 204 000 or visit www.citycol.ac.uk

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