Newcastle Science City

What We DoNewcastle Innovation Machine

Creating high growth businesses

Newcastle as a Science City is aiming to create 500 new high growth companies by 2025. To help in the drive towards this ambitious target a unique vehicle, The Newcastle Innovation Machine (NIM) has been established.

What makes NIM different is that, instead of starting from an idea or a scientific discovery then seeking a market, it begins by identifying an unmet need. This could be a product of service that makes a person's life easier or alternatively a product which can be produced more cost effectively and therefore sold onto the consumer at a lower cost.

If we believe that people would be prepared to pay for a new service or product, it becomes easier to set up a business that is more likely to succeed, create jobs and be sustainable.

"NIM is taking much of the risk out of setting up a new venture because we are first establishing a clear market for a product or service before it is launched."

The Newcastle Innovation Machine will provide the perfect environment for entrepreneur’s ideas to thrive including funding support, access to contacts and networks across the region, property allocation along with advice on areas such as IP, licensing, law, finance and marketing support.

The NIM concept capitalises on the strong partnership networks that have been built up over the last decade within North East England and acts as a catalyst for business ideas enabling innovative products to reach the market at the right time, in the right place and targeted at the exact needs of the consumer.

Attracting talent from across the world

Over the past few months the NIM has attracted six highly talented entrepreneurs from across the globe who will work as “Innovation Managers” within Newcastle Science City Company Ltd. They have worked all over the world in their previous roles for blue chip companies including Lamborghini and BMW.

Each has a diverse range of experience and a proven track record in creative thinking and they will use this experience to research and identify unmet needs and work with technology providers and business partners across the region to find solutions. From this potential business propositions will be developed and new innovative businesses created.

The project will aim to create and support high-growth innovative companies and is part financed by the European Union’s ERDF Competitiveness programme 2007-13, securing £3m of ERDF investment through the regional development agency One North East.

Innovation Managers

  Jo Chan

Jo Chan originally from Colchester in Essex, became an innovation manager for Newcastle Science City after 10 years of international experience in the R&D, automotive and product industries. He has worked for big name companies including Bugatti, Lamborghini and Volkswagen.

He did much of his learning on projects, including guiding the building of €1.5m prototype Bugatti sports car. Jo also attained an MBA from the Cranfield School of Management.

He says: “At NIM, I will be adopting the funnel approach, acting as a filter for ideas and coming at them from a different angle. The aim is to come up with new ideas, not just new products and services but new ways of delivering them that no one has thought of.

He adds: “Newcastle is becoming increasingly known as a world leader in science, engineering and technology and the Newcastle Innovation Machine provided the ideal opportunity for me to play my part in the city’s future. One of the good things about Newcastle Science City is the way it can lead you into networks which will help us turn ideas into a commercial reality.”

  Laura Williams

Laura Williams from North Yorkshire, has held positions, including service designer and director for Zest Innovation and communications and service development manager for CarbonNeutral Newcastle. She also ran her own service design company for four years.

Her special interest as a Newcastle Science City innovation manager will be the health and ageing sector, including end-of-life care. 

She says:  “I will be looking at services from the viewpoint of the end-user. Innovation is not always about coming up with new things, it can be about taking products and services that already exist and asking if they are done well and if they can be done better.

She is confident that Newcastle Science City’s can play a crucial role in creating new businesses. She says: “I think being part of Newcastle Science City helps that process because of the connections that it has. It can get a foot in doors which others might struggle to do. We can use those connections both regionally and nationally, as well as internationally, to develop new ideas.”

  Carolyn Horrocks

Carolyn Horrocks from Liverpool, gained her experience working for some of the biggest names in pharmaceuticals, for whom she explored issues surrounding the way the human body reacts to drugs. She developed the theme in a PhD looking at how the body’s immune system reacts to transplant operations, and came up with ways in which the dangers of rejection could be minimised. She also explored stem cell sciences, including spells working in Vancouver, Canada, and Sweden.

Now, she is the innovation manager tasked with looking at renewables. Her work includes exploring ways of improving the carbon trading system, how best to install renewables in housing, how to service electric vehicles and ways of developing the green transport network. 

She says: “My work is all about meeting unmet needs, identifying ideas that can develop. I was attracted to the role because I was aware of the strong partnership networks in place in Newcastle and across North East England and see this is critical for the development of a successful knowledge based economy.’

  Helen Floyd

Helen Floyd from Buckinghamshire, comes to her job from a background in the medical field, specifically in reconstructive surgery and the treatment of burns. Having worked in biological sciences, she has a ready appreciation of the kind of hothouse atmosphere which is needed to come up with scientific breakthroughs - and the kind of pitfalls which entrepreneurs need to avoid.

Focusing particularly on the ageing and health agenda, Helen says: “I will be working with people across the region on leading-edge research and collaborations to take ideas onto the next stage in their development. 

“Good ideas can die because people do not buy into them. What I am doing is ensuring we start with clear insights and developing the ideas appropriately. It is not just about new products. Sometimes it is about asking if the way an idea has been implemented is inefficient or ineffective. Innovation is often about making something work better.”

She adds: “I’m excited to be in Newcastle during what is definitely seems to be a pivotal time for the city and the wider region. 

  Pradeep Raman

For Innovation Manager Pradeep Raman, the challenge involved in setting up a business is what has driven his career. He also brings international experience to his new job.

Born in India, Pradeep moved to New Zealand, where he was involved in setting up a number of businesses in the dot.com and new technologies field.

Having come to the UK and attained a MBA at Cranfield University, he has now brought an expertise honed at the sharp end of business to Newcastle Science City to work on ideas for further enterprises.

Pradeep says: “I have always been interested in the idea of starting businesses and that was my experience in New Zealand, where I was involved in starting a number of companies.

“I was interested in applications for internet technologies and one of the businesses was an online recruitment website, which featured videos of the people seeking jobs. Now that I am working with Newcastle Science City, I am still interested in developing the idea of new businesses and it is something I will be exploring.

“Energy also interests me. It is something that is very popular at the moment and I am interested in looking at opportunities within the sector although I am naturally drawn to applications for mobile phones and internet technologies.”

  Eric Foch

Innovation Manager Eric Foch is a man with diverse interests, ranging from a passion for skiing to an interest in architecture - and he hopes to bring them all together in his role at Newcastle Science City.

Born in the Northern Alps, Eric has been involved in many senior roles during his business career, including working as a project and team leader on projects within the airline industry at Air France.

During that time, his initial interest in mechanical engineering and software applications developed into a much wider world view and an interest in change management and the nature of innovation.

The catalyst for his move to Newcastle was his decision five years ago, to design and build his own house in the south of France, using the latest green technologies. That strengthened his interest in the subject and part of his role with Newcastle Science City will be to identify opportunities within the sector, Eric having been attracted by the likes of NAREC at Blyth and the political support for renewables research and development in the UK.

But his interest goes beyond renewables because he also has a keen interest in sport (he is a member of the French Alpine Club) and music and art (he has been an actor, singer and a classical pianist).

Eric, who recently completed a MBA within the School of Management at Cranfield University, said: “I am interested in bringing different disciplines together, to see whether we can combine technology with sport and the arts. At Cranfield, I was identified as someone who was creative and as a ‘serial entrepreneur’ so I am keen to develop new ideas during my time at Newcastle Science City.”