CEO Sue Cooke's business plan will help revive the local economy and provide a bounce-back platform for businesses to grow in the wake of the pandemic
A BUSINESS innovation centre at the University of Huddersfield is gearing up to help revive and boost the region's economy once coronavirus has eased. New labs and offices that offer ample space for social distancing are among the extra facilities that will be available.
And the chief executive officer of the 3M Buckley Innovation Centre - who has just marked her first year in the post - believes that the flexibility displayed by businesses based there, as they coped with the crisis, is a positive sign for the future.
Sue Cooke praised the rapid shifts of gear made by firms as they moved into areas such as the production of items including personal protective equipment and hand sanitiser.
"When a crisis forces radical change, businesses can adapt or will develop new types of product or service innovation, inspired by the needs-must of Covid-19," she said.
"We are expecting a strong spirit of recovery in the Huddersfield business community and we will see start-ups or growing companies looking for space in managed workspaces like the 3M BIC," added Ms Cooke, who revealed that reconfigured space at the award-winning centre would make 300 square metres available for new labs and offices.
"To say it's been a rollercoaster first year at the 3M BIC is an understatement!" said Ms Cooke, who took over as CEO in April 2019, succeeding the Centre's founder, Professor Liz Towns-Andrews. She has blogged about the achievements and challenges of her first 12 months.
Planning for the future
After a highly active and productive period, "the world turned on its axis" with the Covid-19 lockdown.
"Our events and conferencing business had to be curtailed overnight, a difficult decision was reached to furlough several staff and our tech team switched its efforts to producing PPE for face masks using the 3D printers onsite," said Ms Cooke.
"We set up a skeleton crew to keep the Centre open with social distancing in place for tenants who couldn't work from home, so those with labs making hand sanitiser or supplying components and medical devices to key industries."
Now, she and her 3M BIC team are looking to the future and a bounce-back in the wake of the pandemic. From August, a new business plan will be in place.
"We will adapt to the ongoing distancing requirements, and bring forward eight new offices and labs," said Ms Cooke.
Leadership training programme for business
Other new ventures in the pipeline include a 'leadership centre' in association with the University of Huddersfield, offering training and coaching for business leaders and managers.
"We are also planning the Kirklees Top 100 Companies initiative with Kirklees Council, the University, its Huddersfield Business School, and the Huddersfield Examiner, to go live in the next Huddersfield Business Week.
"So there are lots of exciting developments to come as we recover from the economic shock and focus on the innovative spirit of the Huddersfield business community to bounce back," said Ms Cooke.
It is expected that there will be strong demand from companies in the health and medical technology field for labs at the Centre, where the 3M BIC's own staff offer expertise and facilities, such as industrial design, prototyping and 3D printing, that can aid the development of new products.
