County’s universities join forces to help business community

Three Lancashire universities have helped more than 80 regional businesses after joining forces on an innovation project.

The University of Central Lancashire*, Lancaster University and Edge Hill University have provided Preston, Burnley, South Ribble and West Lancashire based businesses with a range of practical support, including product testing and developing prototypes.

Through the Lancashire Universities’ Innovation Programme (LUIP), staff and students have worked with a wide variety of clients to create new ideas and solutions and undertake evidence-based marketing, along with allowing businesses to access the universities’ state-of-the-art laboratories.

The 15-month initiative saw work undertaken in areas such as health & wellbeing, advanced manufacturing, food & drink, accounting and legal. Companies including Avalon Sports Ltd and 6D Tape were among those who received support from the scheme. It was financed through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund allocations received by Burnley Borough Council, Preston City Council, South Ribble Borough Council and West Lancashire Borough Council.

Tapani Taskinen, CEO of 6D Tape, which is a medical tape which can work in six directions and helps with lymphatic and physical therapy as well as scar treatment, said: ”The support from the LUIP aligned well with my company’s business goals by providing valuable research validation, industry insights, and strategic guidance to enhance our product’s credibility and market positioning.

“Collaborating with the University of Central Lancashire and the LUIP provided invaluable scientific validation and strategic insights. Their expertise helped strengthen our product’s credibility and market position, making a real impact on our growth and innovation journey.”

Wot Wud U Do Educational Service, based in Preston, worked with the programme to gain an insight into the impact of the service and what changes might be needed. Dave Clayton, Founder and CEO, commented: “Working with the team helped us gain an insight and bring clarity to the work we do and created the evaluative structure needed to capture our impact.”

Burnley-based Miro, a distributor of high-performance cooker hoods, also took part in LUIP. Jamie Butterfield, Office Manager, said: “Participating in the programme was invaluable. It provided practical insights into strategic planning, communication, and relationship management, along with actionable frameworks for growth. This programme boosted our confidence and equipped us with tools to thrive in a competitive market.”

The University of Central Lancashire utilised expertise from across the disciplines of health & wellbeing, art & design and engineering to help 37 businesses. Dr Ambreen Chohan, Senior Research Fellow (Health, Innovation & Wellbeing), led the project for the University. She commented: “This collaboration was about bringing academics, industry experts and students together to turn businesses’ ideas into realities.

“We focussed on helping to answer important, clinically or commercially relevant research questions which spanned the innovation pathway, from competitor analyses and evidence consolidation through to product and service evaluation.

“We were delighted the feedback from the SMEs said we had positively impacted their businesses, and we hope to see them continue to flourish and grow in the future.”

Through the LUIP, in excess of 20 businesses from Burnley and Preston have taken up the opportunity to access innovation support from Lancaster University across a range of initiatives.

Matt Wright, Head of Partnerships & Engagement for Regional Innovation at Lancaster University, commented: “Our partnership in LUIP has enabled regional businesses to accelerate their innovation journey through access to high quality academically informed initiatives from Lancaster University. By providing business leaders with the space to work together as part of a peer-network through facilitated workshops and engaging with student talent we are greatly enhancing the opportunities for potential further growth.”

LUIP enabled SMEs with scale-up potential to access innovative support from Edge Hill University, helping them transform into high-growth, high-productivity businesses.

Professor Simon Bolton, Associate Dean (Enterprise, Skills and Employability) at Edge Hill University, added: “Being a partner in LUIP has allowed us to deliver transformative growth support to SMEs in Preston and Burnley. Our efforts have significantly impacted the growth trajectories of regional businesses and provided critical insights into the challenges they face. This knowledge has helped us unlock their full potential and drive sustainable development.”

Businesses interested in receiving similar innovation support can email [email protected]