Seminar encourages innovation

As a strategy to combat the recession, Axiom Manufacturing Services will host the first of these seminars in conjunction with partners The Technology Partnership (TTP) and EBV Elektronik. The discussion groups will focus on developing partnerships between designers and manufacturers to create innovative design and manufacturing solutions in a bid to reduce costs and timescales. Axiom's operations director, Dean Taylor, said: "It's a tough market at the moment and businesses need to ensure their products are punching above their weight and on top of that they are being produced at a cost effective and efficient rate. It makes sense to incorporate aspects such as manufacture, procurement and test into the design stages as this is where the majority of cost and time savings can be made." The Innovate or Stagnate seminar will include sessions on implementing business partnerships, case studies of partnerships in action, applying the principles of design for excellence to increase innovation and improving cost effectiveness through product design. Dean Taylor added: "It's a really simple principal, design and manufacturing partnerships can uncover new ways to make products functionally rich at a reduced cost while also reducing time to market, it just requires the confidence to step outside comfort zones and into a new way of working." 'Innovate or Stagnate' will take place between 10am and 3pm on 30th April at Axiom's site in Newbridge, south Wales. Attendance is free but places are limited to two per company and there is a maximum of 30 attendees. More details are available here.