Written by on 12 July 2018
Your opportunity to participate in Innovate UK’s fully funded global business innovation programme which includes an innovation mission.
© Shutterstock
Building collaborations and understanding the needs of different markets are often barriers stopping businesses expanding globally.
Following the success of the first wave of the programme which prepared companies for international networking, the innovation mission itself and follow up afterwards, Innovate UK are funding, and we're delivering, the second wave of this exciting programme.
Business support open to applications
Advanced Materials
South Korea
11th - 17th November 2018
This innovation mission is aimed at businesses developing advanced materials for mobility. Key technology areas are composites, light weighting, carbon fibre and high performance materials.
Business support closed to applications
Internet of Things
South Korea
9th - 15th September 2018
This innovation mission is aimed at businesses focused on developing IOT technologies — Smart Cities (to include healthcare, energy, environment, transport), autonomous vehicles, Industry 4.0, Smart Farming, Artificial Intelligence, 5G, Blockchain.
Cross sector use of AI & Digital
Singapore
15 - 22 September 2018
The innovation mission is suitable for business involved in cross-cutting AI & Digital technologies with application to the following sectors: Services and Digital, Health and Wellbeing, Urban Solutions, Advanced Manufacturing, Food & Agri-Tech and Logistics.
The 3 phases explored: get ready, innovation mission, exploit
Getting ready for market
Prior to the visit, delegates will attend an in-country briefing which will provide market information and advice on how to do business in the host country. This briefing will also include pitch training for each business so that they can easily articulate their offer and requirements.
Visiting the market: innovation mission
The innovation mission itself will usually involve staying in the target country for approximately 5 days to give plenty of time to maximise the opportunity. A typical programme might involve:
- Orientation and briefings by local experts and officials at the British Embassy/High Commission
- Meeting with potential partners through a brokerage style event
- Exclusive access to the sector - opportunity to meet key companies, universities and research organisations to better understand the market/technology area.
- Attendance and participation in conferences/events
Exploiting the opportunity
Exploiting the opportunity is perhaps the most important part of the programme.
On their return and as an integral part of their involvement with the Programme, each participating business will be expected to work with their EEN adviser to agree a joint action plan to follow up on the relationships and opportunities identified during the innovation mission.
- Log in to post comments
Making contacts was key for us. In terms of building our presence, we succeeded. The VCs we met were very engaged and openly offered contacts and introductions. The investors passed an incredible level of knowledge and expertise onto us. It would have been really difficult for a small British company such as ours to make such connections independently, or to break into the market, or pitch to investors without the trip.
Johnnie Ball, Chief Data Scientist at Fluidly in this blog: Making American connections: tales from a Silicon Valley visit
