From Ideas to Impact: How our Eco-Innovation Specialist guides businesses to sustainability

Elizabeth Elliot has supported dozens of companies in Greater Manchester since joining GM Business Growth Hub as an Eco-Innovation Specialist in January 2022. In this Q&A we find out more about her role, who she can help, and how.

You’re an Eco-Innovation Specialist – what does that mean?

As an Innovation Specialist, I support all sizes of businesses in Greater Manchester to grow in three main ways: (1) transforming ideas into commercially viable products and services; (2) accessing new markets; and (3) introducing new processes and technologies.

I focus on eco and sustainable concepts, helping businesses to reach new markets by launching ‘green’ products, as well as improving the eco performance of their existing offer.

I can help business leaders and innovators understand circular economy principles and how to implement them for a more sustainable future, both in environmental and financial terms.

What kinds of businesses do you support?

There’s a huge variety in terms of the kinds of companies we help at GM Business Growth Hub, which range from micro and small organisations, right through to bigger SMEs and large firms, across so many different industries.  

At the moment, the companies I work with generally tend to fall into one of two categories in terms of where they are on their journey. There are green innovators, who are perhaps inventors, or technical or creative in some way; they’ve come up with some new technology or device that is specifically green, like an energy efficiency device for example, and they need help commercialising it. 

This often includes helping them to collaborate with expertise from our extensive innovation eco-system to carry out research, make prototypes, or test their products, as well as other commercial support, such as developing the business model to work out how to make money from their innovation. 

The other type are more established businesses that want to adapt, to innovate and become greener. They want to do something in this area, but aren’t sure what; or maybe they've got an idea about how to change their offer so it’s greener. They might have been through the process of adopting greener practises within the business, but need help applying those principles to their products or services.

This doesn't mean that if you don't fit into these categories, we can't assist you. On the contrary – no matter your size, sector, location within Greater Manchester, or goals, there’s a specialist team here to support you.

How do people get in touch with you?

I receive enquiries from all sorts of places. Some firms contact GM Business Growth Hub’s enquiry team, and we’re introduced that way. Sometimes other service teams, like our Advanced Manufacturing and Green Tech experts, will refer a business to me for specialist green innovation support. 

Others come from places such as Innovate UK, who might be talking with one of their clients and identify an area that I can assist them with. Then, I also get talking with companies at networking events and that’s how the relationship starts. And occasionally people will come across something I’ve posted on my LinkedIn profile and send me a message on that platform. 

What happens after I get in touch?

Once we’re in contact, we’ll usually have an initial phone call, so I can properly introduce myself and find out a bit more about your specific challenges and the support you need. I’ll usually ask about the business’s plans, and talk about the various ways in which GM Business Growth Hub can help.

Then, we usually book in a face-to-face meeting, where we’ll use an 'Innovation Canvas' as a framework to sketch out the landscape in which you’re developing your product or service. This is a really useful tool that gives a better understanding of the opportunity, and helps you to improve your offer and your capacity to innovate.
 
The next steps depend entirely on your company's goals and the direction you want to take, but include me identifying a number of subsequent actions, as well as making introductions to any connections who can also help. 

Our support is completely bespoke, so there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. It could be that we book in an hour’s meeting on IP. Or the priority might be to develop a project brief to access expertise, research and specialist facilities, and potentially develop a sustainable partnership with a university or a recognised research organisation.

Alternatively, if the business doesn’t have a specific idea, or is still in the early stages of developing it, the next step may be to look at the business model and find the right value proposition. 

How much time will I need to commit?

How long is piece of string? At the bottom end, I would say around six hours, but it really varies. Bigger projects that involve an Innovation Grant and collaboration with universities or specialist research organisations will require a lot more time. 

What I will say is that GM Business Growth Hub takes away a lot of the heavy lifting for companies, we can contribute to market research to save time, we can talk to our network contacts and sometimes introduce you – helping to commercialise the new product or service or reach new business opportunities faster, we can help develop the business model or value proposition to support as successful a launch as possible, so we free up more of your time to concentrate on running the business. 

What am I going to get out of it?

It depends on your plans and priorities, but I can make sure you put yourself in the best position to reach new customers, and improve the environmental impact of your goods and services – everything from reducing your product and packaging costs, to winning contracts in new markets, to tackling environmental pressures from supply chains, regulators or customers.

I’m here to help remove whatever barriers you’re facing, whether that’s a lack of time, human resource, specialist knowhow, technology, innovation strategy or appropriate facilities. Finance too – you might be eligible for receive grant funding, for example, to reduce the financial risk of your product developments. 

A stat we’re proud of is that three-quarters of our clients experience increased productivity as a result of working with us. But there are other, non-quantifiable benefits; I’ll connect you to the right organisations, people and research partners, and you’ll pick up invaluable knowledge and insights as a result that, again, will save you time and money in the medium and long-term.

I’ll also help you to maintain focus on your innovation project, adding those important checks and balances that keep things on track, asking those – sometime awkward – questions, and giving you a sounding board to bounce your thoughts off. 

I also need help with something else – can I get more support? 

There’s a big team of more than 150 at GM Business Growth Hub that works with businesses across all sectors. There are so many things we can help you with; digital transformation, developing your workforce, selling internationally, you name it. We’re also part of the Growth Company, which means we draw on a huge network of additional expertise and resources. 

There’s no limit on what you can tap into. We’ve been partnering with many of our clients for several years, like The Insights Family, accompanying them as they grow and become more successful.

We’ve no hidden agenda and we’re not trying to sell you anything.  We’re publicly-funded, with a remit to support businesses, it’s as simple as that.
 

Save time and money – contact us today.