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£1m Boost for Business in Blackpool
Story supplied by LU Press Office
Twenty new jobs and over a million pounds worth of new sales are the result of a two year project by Lancaster University's InfoLab21 to help local firms in Blackpool become more competitive.
The Blackpool Business Development Initiative provided marketing support to more than eighty small and medium sized companies.Each company received a tailored package of marketing support, for example market research, branding and website development.
Project Manager Anthony Cook, from the University's Knowledge Business Centre, first spent time visiting the firms individually to find out their needs.
He said: "Most smaller firms can't afford marketing but they come to realise its importance because it makes a significant impact on their business."
The companies which the University has helped range from to a CCTV firm, hotels and manufacturing to those engaged in ICT.
Peter Trunkfield is the managing director of UK Travel Planners which offers car hire and accommodation for overseas visitors. He said business had increased tenfold since Lancaster University set up an e-commerce website to enable customers to book cars online.
Peter added: "I'm delighted - it's made the business and we've taken on more staff. We've achieved in a few months what it would have taken us three or four years to do otherwise.
"Before we had a free phone number for people to call from Australia and Canada but that generated a lot of paperwork and now people can book on the web it's much easier."
The project was part funded by the European Regional Development Fund and was run in partnership with Business Link and Blackpool Borough Council.
Peter Legg, the council's Head of Economic Regeneration said: "We're interested in supporting all businesses in Blackpool and offering them the opportunity to improve their competitive position. Working with the University has been proved through a number of projects to improve that position."
The University's Knowledge Business Centre is based at InfoLab21, a £15m centre of excellence for IT and communications technologies funded by Lancaster University, the Northwest Development Agency (NWDA), the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). Staff at the KBC aim to enable businesses and academics to work together to develop new products and processes through industry training and technology transfer.
Mon 14 August 2006
Associated Links
- InfoLab21 - The UK's centre of excellence for ICT
Latest News
Geography student sets up film company
It is well known that Geography graduates are highly employable and use their degrees in many different ways. One of the more unusual we have heard about recently is Lancaster geographer Greg Tomaszewicz who has set up his own Video Production Company - Lanor Productions.
Story supplied by LU Press Office
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Eco-innovation businesses invited to attend pioneering project launch
Ambitious North West SMEs keen to drive forward eco-innovative ideas and products are invited to a major event in Manchester on March 4.
Story supplied by LU Press Office
Thu 21 February 2013
First Science and Technology Business Partnerships and Enterprise Annual Report 2011-2012 available to download now
2011-2012 saw the development of a new theme-based strategy for Business Partnerships and Enterprise in Science and Technology. The seven interdisciplinary themes are: Advanced Manufacturing, Energy, Environment, Health and Human Development, Information and Communication Technologies, Quantum Technology and Security. Each theme has dedicated professional staff to work with businesses and source the expertise they need.
Tue 19 February 2013
Lancaster University Coffeemat Challenge won by Science and Technology student Seb
The concept of a new university website, complete with mobile application, to capture the campus social scene at a glance, earned an enterprising student an iPad.
Story supplied by LU Press Office
Tue 19 February 2013