GOSW led the development of an Innovation Action Plan, in partnership with the South West Regional Development Agency (SWRDA) and the Small Business Service. The Plan set out ways in which each partner would promote the benefits of innovation - tackling barriers to enterprise, improving business productivity, regional competitiveness and ultimately the South West’s economic growth.
The plan mapped out a number of actions for the three organisations through the past year. GOSW’s contributions included:
- Achieving good regional coverage of the DTI’s Living Innovation Lecture in October 2004, which was broadcast by satellite to business events in Bristol and Weymouth.
- Increasing awareness of commercial opportunities and how to exploit them. For example, by setting up an event in February 2005 to explain the process of public procurement tendering. The comments from attendess included the following: ‘I came away with many new leads to pursue’, ‘very informative’, and ‘an excellent overview’.
- Ensuring better support for science and technology. For instance, GOSW helped to host a visit by Lord Sainsbury to promote DTI’s Science and Innovation Investment Framework. GOSW also ran a regional seminar to raise awareness of the Government’s science and technology Foresight programme, which aims to ensure effective strategies are produced now to address the challenges of the future.
