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Innovation is critical if Dorset is to recover quickly from the recession resulting from COVID-19. Dorset businesses spend less on and have fewer people employed in research and development activity than the UK average. This is in part to there being no University in the Dorset Council area. Therefore levels of innovation are lower than national comparators. This reduces the competitiveness and productivity of Dorset business. Increasing levels of successful innovation is key to increasing productivity and achieving clean and inclusive growth.
All businesses recognise the importance of innovation to good business practise. However, the introduction of appropriate innovation can be challenging for small businesses. Securing funding in a competitive environment can be challenging for larger firms.
We will work with partners to enable innovation to increase productivity, provide higher skilled jobs and work towards a zero-carbon economy.
What we will do
- secure investment in and development of the Dorset Innovation Park (DIP) advanced engineering, defence and cyber security cluster
- develop and promote Dorset as a location for the growth of agritech and aquaculture
- increase food productivity and security through technological development
- drive innovation through the Council’s procurement of goods and services
- develop and promote Dorset as a location for the growth of clean and green technology
- develop and promote Dorset as a location for the growth of technology to meet the challenges of an aging population
How we will do it
- promote the Dorset Innovation Park, attract and assist companies to relocate to the Park
- deliver the Defence Innovation Centre and maximise the catalytic opportunity to attract further investment in the Park
- deliver phase II of the Innovation Centre at Dorset Innovation Park
- promote existing innovation offers and collaborate on development of future schemes
- collaborate with regional universities on Industry/Academia collaboration
- promote inward investment in Dorset to innovative sectors and companies
- encourage incubation of innovative business