PARTNERING UP TO PROGESS TRANSPORT TECHNOLOGIES

PRESS RELEASE

19 March 2010

Partnering up to progress transport technologies

The British Marine Federation Central Region and the Transport innovation Network (iNet) paired up this month to host “Partnerships 4 Technology in Transport”, at Henry Ford College in Loughborough. The event promoted knowledge sharing and the need for networking within the East Midlands transport sector to progress innovative technology.

 

Over 40 small and medium sized businesses in the East Midlands working across the five transport sectors; automotive, rail, motorsport, aerospace and marine, came together to find out how technology is the key to advancing innovation within the transport industry.

 

The Transport iNet provided an outline of the funding and business support available in the region, whilst the Materials Knowledge Transfer Network gave an overview into applications of lightweight materials. Presentations from East Midlands Development Agency (emda), the FP7 service and TBAT Innovation provided further insight into ways to improve resource efficiency, protecting Intellectual Property and other grants available.

 

Businesses were also given an opportunity to “Speed Network” to find the perfect partner to share knowledge and expertise. The one to one session resulted in high quality meetings to develop future partnerships.

 

John Frodsham, the Transport iNet Project Director said: “The Partners 4 Technology event is one of many which aims to increase business to business interaction with the marine sector, as well as across the transport industry as a whole.  Businesses have been given the opportunity to meet with other like-minded individuals with a shared interest in emerging technologies such as low cost manufacturing processes for carbon fibre composites. It has also offered support and practical examples to businesses within the transport sector of how they can realise innovation through working with others.”

 

Paul Gullett, Managing Director of Grantham based Wave International, added: “The event was very informative and of particular interest for us was the Prospect IP and Knowledge Transfer Partnership presentations, two areas that we will look in to further.”

 

The Transport iNet, which is based at Loughborough University, is funded by East Midlands Development Agency (emda) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The aim of the iNet is to share expertise and stimulate the research and development of new products, services and processes across the five transport sectors, rail, marine, automotive, motorsport and aerospace.

 

For more information on innovation support available to transport businesses visit the Transport iNet website at www.eminnovation.org.uk/transport/.

 

ENDS

For further information please contact Rachael van Oudheusden at Willoughby PR on 0115 924 7132 or email rachaelv@willoughby-pr.co.uk

 

Notes to editors:

About the British Marine Federation

The British Marine Federation (BMF) is the trade association for the leisure and small commercial marine industry.

We represent businesses involved in:

• Leisure boats - seagoing and inland
• Commercial workboats
• Superyachts
• Hire fleets
• And all the equipment and services needed for those craft.

Our members come from over 4300 businesses in today's UK leisure and small commercial marine markets. The turnover of those markets is worth £3.1 billion.

 

About emda

East Midlands Development Agency (emda) is one of nine Regional Development Agencies in England, set up in 1999 to bring a regional focus to economic development.

Ten years on, independent evaluation shows emda has:

• Had a significant impact on the region’s economy
• Generated economic benefits that substantially outweigh its overall costs
• Put back over £9 of economic output (or GVA) into the regional economy for every £1 it spends
• Produced more than £1 billion in economic benefits per year
• A wider impact on people, places and businesses in the East Midlands that cannot be captured by figures alone.

 

emda is committed to supporting the region through the current downturn and has put in place a range of measures to provide real help during these challenging times. 

Over the long term, emda’s aim is to deliver the 2006 Regional Economic Strategy (RES) by working in partnership with public, private and voluntary organisations.  The RES highlights the themes of productivity, sustainability and equality and sets out key priorities until 2020 to ensure the vision for ‘a flourishing region’ can be achieved. 

For more details visit www.emda.org.uk

About East Midlands Innovation

East Midlands Innovation is the Regional Science and Industry Council which was established in 2005 by emda. 

East Midlands Innovation’s principle responsibility is to take the lead for emda in implementing the Innovation Strategy and Action Plan for the East Midlands with the aim to grow a long term, sustainable, innovation-led economy.

 

About iNets

In order to deliver the Regional Innovation Strategy and coordinate action under its four themes, emda and East Midlands Innovation have created four business led innovation networks (iNets) which are focused on the identified regional industry and research strengths across four priority sectors. These have been identified as:

 

•Healthcare and Bioscience

•Food and Drink

•Sustainable Construction

•Transport Equipment

 

The iNets are raising the level of innovation in their sectors, with the aim of stimulating the research and development of new products, services and processes.

 

For further information, visit www.eminnovation.org.uk

 

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