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NEW DEFENCE GROUP WILL FIGHT CORNER FOR SMALLER COMPANIES
A new group has declared its intention to fight the corner for
companies struggling to promote their ideas and innovations to
major players in the defence industry.
The Defence Innovation Group (DIG) aims to highlight and promote
the range of innovative solutions and products available from
smaller companies and organisations involved in the defence and
related market sectors.
Born out of a frustration experienced by many organisations trying
to break into new markets dominated by established companies and governmental and
institutional purchasers, the group wants to focus attention on the sheer
quantity and quality of real
research and development, often self-funded, that never makes it
past the drawing board
or the presentation.
Chairman of the DIG, Jon Price, of Manchester-based Telutami
Limited says: “There is a
huge amount of unused innovation out there that is being missed or
ignored by the major
players.
“The DIG is determined that the current defence industry and UK
MoD emphasis on
research and development (R&D) rightly includes the many smaller
companies with great
ideas but not necessarily the resources available to press their
case.
“We don’t want to wait for crumbs to fall off the major players’
table, we are aiming for a
rightful place at that table. Our message is that we innovate
because we want to, we
innovate because we can do and we innovate because you need us
to.”
Founding members of the DIG include representatives from
developers of performance
textiles, product design and specialist manufacturers, together
with academics from The
University of Manchester.
It is intended that the Defence Innovation Group becomes the first
port-of-call for buyers or
end-user organisations and contractors looking to solve a problem,
not just in textiles, but
also in composites and many other materials.
Enquiries will be circulated to all members to ensure that each
has an equal opportunity
to be involved in the provision of that solution. Where one or
more members can help,
then co-operation to get the best result will be encouraged.
Membership will be open to organisations and individuals who
demonstrate that they use
innovation as a major part of their commercial life, whether by
coming up with new
concepts or by using and developing technologies in new and
different ways.
Due to the history and expertise in the NW region, which is where
the group was founded,
textiles feature heavily within the DIG at the moment but members
are expected to be
involved in other industrial sectors and from other parts of the
United Kingdom.
“We hope to be able to highlight the UK’s unrivalled expertise in
innovation and eventually
put to rest the belief that we cannot exploit our talents, but we
will not become an
inventor’s club,” said co-founder Shaun Robertshaw of
Rossendale-based performance
textiles coatings company J.B. Broadley.
The DIG has already gained strong support from the Defence
Diversification Agency
(DDA, which has welcomed its formation.
Principal Technology Transfer Manager in the North West, David
Parkinson said: “I am
delighted that the DIG has come into being. It is certainly an
opportune time to be
focusing on innovation and that is something that the UK excels
at. The Defence
Diversification Agency is happy to be supporting the aims of the
DIG and looks forward to
success for the organisation and its members.”
Click Here to Join The Defence Innovation Group
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