South West Innovation Centres

Innovation Centres scoop national award

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 12:21:35 +0000

South West Innovation Centres (SWIC) has been named the 2009 Business Incubation Champion in the UKBI (UK Business Incubation) Awards.

SWIC is a division of Torbay Council's regenerative arm, the Torbay Development Agency and currently has three centres at South Devon College in Paignton, Lymington Road in Torquay, and at the Watermark in Ivybridge. They are funded by the... Read more»

Social enterprise clinics

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 12:16:08 +0100

If you are a social enterprise or established community organisation and need good advice to develop your ideas further, here is an opportunity for a one-to-one chat with one of our qualified business advisors.

The advisors are social enterprise specialists and will provide no-obligation, practical advice on how to grow your organisation to the next stage.

Appointments can be booked for one hour between 10am and 4pm as follows:

Taunton: 4 November, 16 December
Exeter:

Interest free business loans from the Carbon Trust

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 08:06:05 +0100

Helping businesses upgrade equipment and cut energy costs.

Upgrading to the latest energy efficient equipment can help many companies reduce energy costs, modernise production and become more competitive. And with few businesses keen to take out loans for capital investment right now, the Carbon Trust’s government funded 0% business loans are the perfect solution.

The Carbon Trust’s 0% loans: benefits for purchasers and suppliers:

Businesses

Best in Bay

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:02:26 +0100

THE Best in Bay business will be out in force hoping to collect a gong at the Excellence Awards. The South West Innovations Centres said the awards allow business to track their progress and 'benchmark' themselves against other companies.

Adrian Sheen, manager of the South West Innovations Centres, which has premises in Torquay, Paignton and Ivybridge, said: "We have always been involved in the awards, right from the start." The centres provide desk and office units for early

Export Express

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 12:24:44 +0100

UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) is bringing its expertise to the doorsteps of local businesses when its ‘Export Express’ stops at Torbay Innovation Centre on 14th October.

The Export Express is a mobile meeting centre bus provided by UKTI. It will be manned each day by both a local UKTI International Trade Advisor and a South West based representative from the European Enterprise Network, who will be able to share their international trade expertise – all for free and

Investors in People

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:21:17 +0100

South West Innovation Centres, has scooped a coveted ‘Investors in People’ Award. The Investors in People Standard is a tool designed to help employers improve performance by linking people and skills development to the specific aims and objectives of their businesses. The South West Innovation Centres have two full time and one part-time employee as well as four self employed members of staff who manage the three centres in Torquay, Paignton and Ivybridge.

The Centres offer

Get Going

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:17:03 +0100

In April 2008, Susan Johnson was the first tenant to move into The Watermark Innovation Centre in Ivybridge, with her business ‘Get Going’ – established to help people emigrate to Australia. Since then, the business has expanded rapidly to include New Zealand, Canada and South Africa.

Susan has recently doubled her unit space in the Centre to cope with the increase in business, where she helps customers, especially tradesmen and medical professionals, relocate to

Crab hermits

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:15:10 +0100

The main objective of the Innovation Centres is to help companies – especially so in times of crisis. That is certainly true of The Blue Sea Food Company – a local crab processing company.

In November 2008, a major fire completely destroyed their factory and offices. The administration and management departments were quickly resettled into the Paignton Innovation Centre. Being less than a mile away from their burnt-out premises, the location and flexibility helped enormously

Hot business in refrigeration

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:13:33 +0100

One of the first ever tenants in the Torbay Innovation Centre, Stefan Philpott from Heritage Refrigeration has now moved on to bigger premises, to meet the requirements of his rapidly growing business.

Stefan now has over 10 employees working with him covering the South West and installing refrigeration systems into hotels and leisure centres. Stefan has moved to a light industrial unit locally.

Adrian Sheen, the Business Manager for the Torbay Innovation Centre was sad to

Growing businesses

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:03:50 +0100

In times of doom and gloom in the economy, it is refreshing to celebrate the success of the South Devon Innovation Centres. The three Centres, based in Paignton, Torquay and Ivybridge have impressive occupancy rates

Ivybridge at 87% occupancy - 14 out of the 16 units occupied
Lymington Road in Torquay 90% - 26 out of 29 units now taken
Paignton over 75% occupancy out of a total of 12 offices and 26 desk spaces.

Adrian Sheen, Business Innovation Centre