Innovation & Product Development

Whether your product is at the ideas stage or you see the possibility to develop, improve or differentiate an existing product, help and guidance is available. See also our pages on Intellectual Property for information on protecting your rights as an inventor or designer.

Know-How Wales
A service available free-of-charge to businesses that are looking for ideas for new products. KnowHow Wales offers a major service for bringing together potential business and academic partners in collaborations that will put more of your best ideas and expertise to productive commercial use. The website knowhowwales.com has a good range of links and databases.

HELP Wales
Helps companies improve efficiency, develop new products and explore new market potential. From product design to process innovation, and web design to developing a marketing plan. Grants for up to 50% of the total cost of the project. The maximum value grant available is £10,000. Available to all SMEs in the objective 1, 2 and transitional areas of Wales.

Knowledge Exploitation Fund Wales
If you are a company – particularly a small and growing enterprise – KEF presents an opening to bring the knowledge base of the academic world into your office or factory. Working together with FE or HE, you can apply new expertise to develop new products or processes, develop staff, build new markets or strengthen your management team. KEF exists to assist innovation at all levels.

WDA: Welsh Development Agency
The WDA is helping businesses succeed through the application, management and development of technology. Information on a wide range of support is listed on the WDA web site so this is a good starting point for businesses. The WDA's new online technology brokerage service can be found at: Wales4innovation

The WDA has launched this website - Future Wales, and also
- the Technium website and @Wales.

The WDA has launched the Welsh Innovation Network to help small businesses and inventors commercially exploit their ideas. It is free of charge and operates through four regional innovators clubs where people with innovative ideas and projects have access to professional help and funding to develop those ideas.

Innovation Network
Cardiff University Innovation Network establishes contacts between businesses & the University. Provides businesses with access to the University's people, expertise, technology and resources in order to solve problems and grasp opportunities.

Design Wales
The aim of Design Wales is to help manufacturing, service and craft based companies in Wales realise their design objectives by providing one to one advice, delivering technical seminars, and producing inspiring publications. Free to companies in Wales.

CORDIS
CORDIS, the Community Research and Development Information Service, provides information on a wide range of research, development and innovation activities undertaken on a European level. It is particularly designed to help small to medium sized enterprises through the critical stages of technology transfer and innovation. The Welsh pages offer information on research and development in Wales, the Welsh economy and technological growth in Wales, as well as information on European Union research and development grants and funding.

Bic Eryri
Bic Eryri, the Snowdonia Business Innovation Centre, is a specialist new product development centre in Bangor. Dedicated to stimulating new product development and business innovation with facilities for the design and development of new products and technologies in Snowdonia.

UKISHELP
The UKISHELP (UK Information Society Help) website has been launched by the DTI in order to help small firms who are looking to obtain EU funding for innovative technology projects.

Manufacturing Advisory Service
The DTI website is designed to help UK manufacturers, large and small, to identify sources of manufacturing related support and expertise. Links to trade and industry bodies. Freely downloadable fact sheets and advice.
The Regional Centre in Wales aims to support 2000 companies in the first three years of activity and will offer a range of services from manufacturing advice and diagnostic visits to new product and process development, rapid prototyping, ICT in manufacturing and research and development.

Wales Spinout Programme
An all Wales programme to assist in the start-up of businesses that have a connection with one of the eleven Higher Education Institutions in Wales. The main elements of the support are a small (max. £25000) unsecured interest free loan, access to rent-free space for twelve months, consultancy budgets (to £5000 per company) and the mentoring by one of the programme managers - there are six based in the HEIs.

Teaching Company Directorate
TCD manages TCS, a government scheme which helps companies access expertise from a university or research organisation to move forward a key development. One or more able graduates can be recruited to your company for the project.

Future & Innovation Unit - DTI
To help businesses understand innovation, why it is important, and how the best organisations manage it.

Patent Office
The role of the UK Patent Office is to help to stimulate innovation and the international competitiveness of industry through intellectual property rights.

British Standards Institution
The BSI Kitemark is one of the most recognised and trusted symbols in the UK. It is, in the main, a voluntary mark and is indicative of the manufacturer's continuing commitment to produce quality products. The BSI web site is very informative.
They also have a Small Business website which is full of useful features.

GlobalWatch Online
The Department of Trade & Industry (DTI) has launched this website for companies to access worldwide science and technology sector information and updates.