Celebration of Innovation in Mid and East Antrim

Wednesday 5 April 2023

Members of Mid and East Antrim’s Innovation partnership descended on the Ecos Hub in Ballymena last week to celebrate the end of a successful business event series - which has been fuelling innovation across the Borough since June 2022.

This event showcased inspirational individuals and organisations that have shown entrepreneurial talent, creativity and energy to strengthen the economy in Mid and East Antrim.

The partnership was set up last year with the aim of building a connected, innovative community to help increase business knowledge and engagement - and to work together to increase innovation levels throughout the Borough.

The initiative brought together 12 stakeholder organisations - jointly led by Mid and East Antrim Borough Council Council and Invest Northern Ireland - which included Innovate NI, LEDCOM, Carrickfergus Enterprise, Ballymena Business Centre, the Federation of Small Businesses, Northern Regional College, Ballymena BID, Ballymena Borough Chamber of Commerce, Michelin Development UK and Catalyst.

The partnership supports local businesses to help them progress through a structured innovation process that follows the tried and tested NI Innovation Framework. Delivered through six practical workshops, businesses were equipped with practical tools and methodologies to help them develop business ideas into commercial propositions. These interactive workshops explored key topics of innovation discovery, ideation and prioritisation, prototyping and validation, business model and value proposition, commercialisation and accessing finance and business support.

Deputy Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Councillor Beth Adger MBE, said: “It is hugely encouraging to see local businesses ‘building back’ and innovating with the help of this initiative, which has provided the expertise and tools to equip companies to progress in their innovation journey. Supporting local businesses is crucial for Council as growing the economy remains Council’s key strategic priority.

She adds: “It is a misconception that innovation is only for large companies - innovation is a key ingredient to any business’s success. In fact, small businesses are often closer to their customers, putting them in a better position to gather feedback from their clients, which allows them to make positive changes quickly and often with minimal investment.”

Des Gartland, Invest NI’s Regional Manager, said: “Invest NI is pleased to be working in partnership with Mid and East Antrim Borough Council and other key stakeholders, to help drive innovation across Northern Ireland.

“As outlined in the Department for the Economy’s 10X Vision, encouraging and supporting businesses here to innovate is key to economic growth. This partnership event series has enabled us to debunk some of the myths surrounding innovation and demonstrate how businesses can take small steps to progress using the Innovate NI Innovation Framework with the ultimate goal of enabling them to stay relevant in a competitive marketplace”.

To find out more about supports available to grow your business contact amplify@midandeastantrim.gov.uk

Invest NI is committed to driving innovation in Northern Ireland and is a proud partner of Innovate NI, a Department for the Economy programme, helping local businesses innovate successfully. For further information, visit www.innovateni.com.

Wednesday 5 April 2023