Regional Innovation Policy - Consultation

The Regional Innovation Policy will seek to support innovation activities across the region.  We would very much welcome your input on this document.

Action 12 of the Regional Economic Strategy under identifies the need for businesses to understand and implement product/ process and service innovations with the objective of improved productivity.  The Northwest has approximately £14Bn of GVA gap associated with lower productivity and, in the most recent community innovation survey, it is suggested that over 40% of Northwest businesses do not innovate.

Improving the overall levels of innovation in the Northwest dictates reducing barriers through raising the awareness of the wider benefits of innovation, increasing the access to and exploitation of knowledge, and also increasing the motivation and capacity throughout the regions businesses.  To deliver these outcomes requires a coordinated programme of activities which builds on the interdependencies of skills, collaboration and investment.
 
The draft paper has been prepared as a basis to allow stakeholders to comment and input into the final development of the innovation policy.

Northwest Regional Innovation Policy - Consultation

If you wish to comment on the draft policy, please provide forward comments to the Agency's sponsor Jim Keane, Head of Innovation at jim.keane@nwda.co.uk by 14 March 2008.