The Black Country Innovative Manufacturing Organisation (BCIMO) has announced that its New Year, New Venue, New Opportunities mission continues apace, with the launch of a new business networking group at its venue in the heart of the Black Country.
As a core aspect of the flagship Clean Futures project, aimed at increasing understanding of the challenges and opportunities on the collective regional journey towards Net Zero and decarbonisation, networking is part of the comprehensive Catalyst programme of themed workshops and events for business.
The Catalyst is being delivered alongside the two-year Accelerator programme, with a third strand, the Commercial Investment Hub which focuses on the long-term sustainability of the programme, also being developed for launch in April – more to follow on this soon. The Clean Futures project, led by Connected Places Catapult in collaboration with BCIMO, Coventry University and CU Services Ltd, is part of the wider West Midlands Innovation Accelerator delivered in partnership with the West Midlands Combined Authority, Innovate UK, UK Research and Innovation, and Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
The aim of the Catalyst is to build a cluster of West Midlands SMEs who share a goal of developing Clean Technology, and also includes engagement with industry leaders to explore models of best practice and a series of master classes to develop core leadership knowledge and skills.
As such, the networking group is designed to enhance connection and collaboration between businesses who are already working in the ‘green’ innovation sectors – notably energy and fuels, logistics and infrastructure, circular economy and sustainable supply chain – or indeed would like to explore the range of opportunities for new products, services and markets offered by the growing clean, green innovative technologies so essential to our sustainable futures.
Based at the Very Light Rail National Innovation Centre (VLRNIC) in Dudley, BCIMO has its own specific expertise across the rail sector and works closely with other organisations across the broader innovative transport sector, so would love to meet businesses already operating within these industries, but equally to welcome businesses who would like to find out more about working within or innovating for transport.
The first session will run from 9.30am to 11.30am on Wednesday 14th February in the centre’s Exhibition Hall, and will include plenty of opportunities to meet and chat with other businesses alongside the BCIMO team. Each meeting will focus on a core theme of green innovation, beginning with an overview of sustainable development and ways in which small businesses can create and deliver their own green strategy.
The networking meetings are also a chance to explore the new facilities at BCIMO, with a tour available to include the Rail Development & Test Site, and its range of flexible Meeting & Event Spaces; and, at the first networking meeting, the team say they are also excited to be able to share details of the forthcoming Clean Futures Catalyst launch event at the STEAMhouse in Birmingham on 28th February.
Helen Wolf, Marketing & Commercial Officer at BCIMO said: “As a former university lecturer in responsible and ethical business, and passionate local green entrepreneur myself, I know how incredibly important it is for us to tackle the broad range of complex and interrelated environmental challenges we increasingly now face, not just for the wider global sustainable development agenda, but for the sustainable development and so long-term success of our own businesses.
“And although we can and should all make changes to the way we do business individually; we can achieve so much more by coming together as a business community. Opportunities to connect and collaborate are absolutely essential to creativity and innovation within all sectors, and even more vital as we ‘go green’, so I’m really excited to be part of the BCIMO team as we launch our Clean Futures Catalyst networking group.”
To find out more about the Clean Futures Catalyst networking group and how it can help you and your business, you can contact them here, or to book a place on our inaugural event – with the theme of ‘Business Loves The Planet’ especially for Valentines Day – view the Upcoming Event page.
