Helen Miller.
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NORTHAMPTONSHIRE is preparing to take a bold step forward in the UK’s innovation economy with the launch of the Northamptonshire Innovation Ecosystem Report.
The report has been commissioned by and led by the University of Northampton and facilitated by a steering group of partners including Federation of Small Business, Silverstone Technology Cluster, West and North Northamptonshire Councils and South East Midlands Growth Hub.
Delivered by Whitecap Consulting, this report provides a detailed analysis of Northamptonshire’s business and innovation landscape, highlighting both the county’s strengths in key growth sectors such as construction, advanced manufacturing, engineering, logistics, food and drink and the critical challenges Northamptonshire faces in productivity and business survival.
Despite being home to some of the UK’s most forward-thinking companies, the county’s Gross Value Added (GVA) per employee (£61,000) falls slightly behind the UK average (£68,000). While business start-up rates are rising (94% survive their first year in business), five-year survival remains below national figures.
The report identifies these issues while laying out clear, evidence-based recommendations to help shape the future economic strategy and investment for both West and North Northamptonshire.
At the heart of this launch is the unveiling of Fuelling Innovation, a new campaign led by the University of Northampton to drive business innovation, unlock economic potential and position Northamptonshire as a future leader in innovation-led growth.
“The report and project aim to analyse and tackle the barriers to growth and innovation facing businesses in the county,” said Helen Miller, Head of Knowledge Exchange and Enterprise at the University of Northampton.
“It considers the key characteristics of what makes a thriving ecosystem and how the county fares against the key characteristics of aspiration and vision, cluster strategy, access to capital and funding, talent pipeline, community building, real estate and business education.”
The Fuelling Innovation campaign will run throughout the summer into autumn, featuring a packed programme of events and workshops designed to support businesses, linking in with key county events such as Merged Futures, the Silverstone Innovation & Growth Conference and the UON-led Sustainability Summit.
These events will celebrate collaborative success stories between academia and enterprise and offer practical support for businesses looking to innovate and grow.
“Businesses are the key to this, driving innovation and research projects to solve real-world problems,” added Miller.
“Meanwhile, Northamptonshire is facing real productivity issues. The two local authorities are in the process of launching their economic strategies and UON wanted to understand how it could support innovation growth within the county, working with other partners who are critical to this ecosystem.”
Inspired by her previous success leading a similar initiative in Leicester, Helen sees this as the start of something much bigger.
“If this goes well, we would like to put on an annual Northamptonshire Business Festival every year – an event where we celebrate innovation and business growth. It has to be a combined effort between academia and the business community if this is to succeed.”
With the launch aligning with the 50th anniversary of Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, the timing marks a pivotal moment for Northamptonshire to harness its potential and take a lead in shaping the UK’s innovation economy.
To learn more about the campaign and events, visit www.northampton.ac.uk/business/fuelling-innovation.
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