Birmingham City University is urging regional companies to join
a dedicated business networking group offering free advice and
support.
Interiors & Lifestyle Futures comprises three teams of
dedicated business support and expertise and is open to all
companies from SMEs to largescale organisations working in the West
Midland's interiors and lifestyle markets.
Design Knowledge Network and the Jewellery Industry Innovation
Centre based within Birmingham Institute of Art and Design and CIF
in Stoke offer a range of services, from business improvement
workshops and support for company collaborations in pursuit of
commercial opportunities, to seminars in marketing, branding and
product development.
All support is fully-funded by Advantage West Midlands and the
European Regional Development Fund until 2012. In 2010 Interiors
& Lifestyle Futures worked with 90 companies and a number of
successful collaborations have already resulted, including a group
of jewellery and giftware manufacturers working together to develop
a shared stand for a trade event and another group forming a
contract interiors project aimed at winning bigger contracts and
sharing best practice.
Kathryn Burns, DKN Project Director, said: "In today's difficult
economic climate, it is essential companies stay one step ahead.
Interiors & Lifestyle Futures can help do just that.
It's an excellent opportunity to pool resources, expertise
and share best practice. There are real advantages to be
gained in organisations finding ways to work together in the short
and long term."
Peter Wright, Technical Director, at domestic interiors' company
Strata Group, has already been benefitting from the expertise of
the project. He said: "Above all else I found the project most
helpful in the coming together with individuals from all aspects of
various industries in the West Midlands. I realised that we were
not alone in our experiences and through a growing network we would
be able to share ideas in order to benefit from others points of
view.
"I would recommend the experience to anyone who finds themselves
wanting to advance their business."
Future collaborative opportunities under consideration include
the healthcare market, high performance clothing, hotel and bar
markets and low carbon initiatives.
For further information please call 0121 331 7925 or email
info@ilfutures.co.uk