Professor of Enterprise and Director of the
Leeds Enterprise Centre
at the University of Leeds.
Fertile soil for innovation?
The Food and Environment Research Agency (FERA) (www.fera.defra.gov.uk) is the UK Government’s main research-focused investigating sustainable food chains, healthy natural environments and protecting us from biological and chemical risks. Based near York, it has historically been shrouded in secrecy. However, this is rapidly changing. FERA now has an IP Exploitation Manager and spin-out companies located nearby. For example, Forsite Diagnostics (www.forsitediagnostics.com). The company develop and manufacture on-site test kits and is led by Chris Danks since its launch in 2007. Their ‘Pocket Diagnostic’ is the market leader for on-site plant disease testing used by growers, advisors and plant health inspectors. They certainly bring testing for potato blight right into the 21st century (http://bit.ly/7JlX0K)! But I wonder what Pippa Greenwood would say?
FERA and Forsite Diagnostics form part of a more general regional innovation strategy for Yorkshire Forward – the Bioscience Cluster (www.yorkshire-forward.com). It links universities, government departments and industry (there are over 50 companies and 3,700 life scientists work within 8 miles of York). This strategy is also supported by Science City York (www.sciencecityyork.org.uk)
But commercialising bioscience innovation is going to take more than locating firms near to FERA. Getting scientists, academics, venture capitalists and entrepreneurs to collaborate is going to be the key to getting innovations to germinate. Recognising that innovation it is fundamentally about people and that it can be managed could be two of the first seeds to sow!
Dr Nigel Lockett
Director of Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management (CEIM)
www.bradford.ac.uk/ceim
www.nigellockett.com
Is there something a food[t] or have I just got a BEE in my bonnet?
When we think of successful food retailing companies, most of us think of Tesco, the now huge global company. A few might reflect on Morrison’s achievement in absorbing the Safeway chain, acquired in 2003 (http://bit.ly/5tiq49) and after a hard struggle emerging as a survivor (http://bit.ly/4JNzGD).
But how many of us think of the Co-operative? They have just reported a 17% rise in first-half profit – largely due to an increase in food sales and this only a year after buying Somerfield in 2008 to become Britain’s 5th biggest chain of grocery stores. So what are they doing right?
According to their CEO, Peter Marks, it’s down to taking customers away from its competitors. “We’ve improved our product range, spent a lot of money modernising our stores and all of that together has meant that we’re getting new customers” (http://bit.ly/7JRBdb). But is that really innovative enough to beat off competition from the likes of Tesco?
Founded in Rochdale, Northwest England, in 1844 the group now has 5,300 retail outlets and about 4.5 million members (www.co-operative.coop). However, it’s more that a food store, is democratically run by members and arguably leads the way in ethics and sustainability (www.co-operative.coop/aboutus). Now that could be innovative enough to take on the competition!
Perhaps I’ll BEEcome a member and get one of those pretty honeycomb cards (www.co-operativemembership.coop)
Dr Nigel Lockett
Director of Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management (CEIM)
www.bradford.ac.uk/ceim
www.nigellockett.com
