The University of Liverpool’s VEC joined forces with the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority to launch a trailblazing new programme that aims to support Liverpool’s business leaders to become world-class in the field of R&D and Innovation commercialisation.
A select group of 64 of the region’s leading business owners, tech experts, entrepreneurs, investors and leaders from local government and the Department of Business gathered at the Shakespeare North Playhouse in Prescot for the launch and inaugural session of Novel.
Novel is a radical new programme under the UK Shared Prosperity Fund’s ‘Horizons’ initiative that brings together some of the region’s most ambitious and highest growth potential companies from across sectors of advanced engineering, biotechnology, manufacturing, digital, creative and third sector.
Attendees are benefiting from continuous, in-depth coaching and support from a curated network of global business and innovation specialists. In the latest session, delegates had the opportunity to hear from successful entrepreneurs and investors about strategies for realising their growth visions through R&D and innovation. The Novel teams are focused on cultivating a new wave of innovation leadership, aimed at helping the city region to maximise its growth potential and fully commercialise its R&D efforts.
Director of Politics of the Tony Blair Institute Ryan Wain joined the VEC’s Chief Innovation Officer Andrew Borland on stage to set out the opportunity for the city region’s economy and R&D plan from the devolution agenda.
Janice Mears, head of business growth for Growth Platform at the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority commented:
“It was a pleasure to be at the launch of Novel, to hear from such inspiring speakers and meet with local businesses contributing to such meaningful discussions. This programme is designed to empower business leaders with the knowledge, tools, and networks to drive cutting edge innovation for the benefit of the city region, and I am thrilled that Growth Platform plays a part in such an initiative, paving the way for a more collaborative innovation ecosystem.”
Andrew Borland explained: “Novel is not a leadership programme; it’s an Innovation Programme for business leaders. We are empowering some of our highest potential SMEs with world-class training, creating a unique peer network of private and public sector leaders, who can make change happen. With the support of our research-intensive HEIs and all the lessons VEC has learnt about knowledge exchange and commercialisation over the last decade, we have already caught the attention of the government and are looking forward to building on the Novel model nationally.”
Councillor Mike Wharton, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Business, Investment and Trade said:
“Businesses are the backbone of our economy, and for our city region to innovate, develop, and strengthen, our businesses need support to grow and maximise their potential to create opportunities for all. With this new initiative, we are reasserting our commitment to local businesses, recognising their crucial role in driving forward not just our economy, but also our ambitions.”
Novel is a three-month programme comprising three residential sessions, a peer network and R&D support from the VEC.
The programme builds on the VEC’s track record from over a decade of developing and delivering high-impact industrial R&D programmes and collaborations. Over the last ten years, the VEC has worked with hundreds of businesses, developing over 160 new products, reaching new markets and has helped SMEs add £325M to the local economy.
This project is funded from the Liverpool City Region’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) allocation through the Horizons project, managed by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and delivered by the University of Liverpool’s Virtual Engineering Centre (VEC, Liverpool John Moores University and Edge Hill University.
From L-R: Andrew Borland, chief innovation officer at VEC, Ryan Wain, Politics Executive Director, Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, Paul Jones, Chief Executive, Northern Automotive Alliance, Julie Meadows, Motordrive Limited and Chair for Northern Automotive Alliance, Jon Corner, Senior Digital Strategy and Policy specialist, Founder, Director, Chair, NED and Jim Mooney, Head of Enterprise and Investment Programmes at VEC
