SMALL businesses in the north are being encouraged to follow the example set by Cookstown-based CDEnviro and complete InterTradeIreland's six-month Challenge Programme and transform their approach to innovation.
CDEnviro delivers integrated solutions for clients’ waste in terms of landfill diversion, waste water recycling, environmental remediation and the generation of energy from waste.
And just six months after completing the programme in March, it has created a new strategic innovation department and has a pipeline of 46 viable business concepts.
CDEnviro also has plans to undertake its largest ever research and development project to create pioneering solutions for companies affected by changing landfill waste classifications.
Sean Dobbs, strategic innovation lead for CDEnviro, said participating in the InterTradeIreland Challenge Programme helped it to integrate its skills and creativity across the business and structure processes that proved crucial to unlocking higher risk opportunities.
“The support from InterTradeIreland was excellent. We have an ever growing pipeline of ideas and concepts, which currently sits at almost 50.
"To be able to quickly and efficiently research and either validate or discredit any and all opportunities, and having confidence that we are solving the biggest problems first is an exciting prospect for the entire team and a very strong capability to have."
Alan Morrow, manager of the InterTradeIreland Challenge Programme, said: “Challenge companies experience a transformative change in innovation culture, management capability and performance as the programme is focused on embedding best practice in innovation management at the core of participating businesses.
“Only 25 companies are taken through Challenge each year and interested, innovative firms are welcome to register their interest for our upcoming briefing session in November.
"Following application and acceptance onto the programme, participating firms attend workshops to clearly define their innovation priorities and receive intensive in-house coaching support to progress these into new products. There are no costs for SMEs to take part and the benefits that can be reaped are immense.”
The programme is open to the senior management teams of financially viable companies with between 10 and 250 employees which are currently (or considering) exporting and who are serious about growth through innovation. More details at www.intertradeireland.com/innovation/challenge
