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Small Firms to benefit From New £2 million Warwick Product Development Scheme

Originally posted - 23 Sept 1999

A £2 million pound initiative to bring high technology help to small companies has just been launched by The Warwick Manufacturing Group (part of the University of Warwick) with the support of Sun Microsystems and the European Regional Development Fund.

The most successful firms can constantly innovate and produce a continuous stream of new products for the market place. They are always on the look out for new market opportunities. However small and medium sized firms simply do not have the teams of development engineers and other know-how needed to replicate the way large firms develop products – until now.

This new Warwick Advanced Design and Innovation Initiative is a ?2 million programme designed to take the world class know-how on product development that the Warwick Manufacturing Group has developed with large companies, and to make that information available to small companies. Previous schemes have helped small firms to improve existing products and processes now we are able to help them develop completely new products.

All the techniques from computer-aided design tools to rapid prototyping and tooling together with all the necessary training will be made available to small firms across the West Midlands region. Warwick Manufacturing Group’s Director Professor Kumar Bhattacharyya said:-
“The Warwick Manufacturing Group is delighted to be able to develop this initiative with the support of our partners Sun Microsystems and the backing of the European Regional Development Fund. The initiative builds on the work the Group has been doing under the Partners in Excellence umbrella, which enables WMG to work to improve the performance of Small Firms."

Colin Davis head of that Partners in Excellence programme said:-

“This programme means we will be able to help at lot more firms in their efforts to develop new products - all they have to contribute to take advantage of this service is time and commitment”

For more details on how they can access this new initiative companies should contact the Warwick Design and Innovation help desk on Tel. 024 76 572505.

For further information please contact:-
Colin Davies: Tel: 024 76 572567 or
Nick Matthews, Tel: 024 76 572506


Further information about the above press release and all other media services at the University of Warwick can be obtained from:

Peter Dunn, Press Officer
Public Affairs Office
Senate House
University of Warwick
Coventry, CV4 7AL
West Midlands
Tel: 024 76 523708
Email: puapjd@admin.warwick.ac.uk