Opportunities for Yorkshire Business in Space

Photo Alan Saunders Licence CC BY 2,0  Source Wikimedia Commons

 

Jane Lambert

The above photograph shows the space suit worn by Helen Sharman, the first British astronaut  I mention her because this is an article about opportunities for Yorkshire business in space.   Sharman is a Yorkshire woman, born and educated in Sheffield, who seized her opportunity to go into space with both hands.   

On Wednesday, 11 May 2022 the Leeds City Region Supply Chaim Programme and Space Hub Yorkshire will hold what they describe as "an event" at the 3M Buckley Innovation Centre in Huddersfield on Opportunities for Manufacturers in the Space Sector - How To Guide, According to the Eventbrite card,

"[the] event will comprise of a number of engaging talks giving an academic, business and legal focus on how you can grasp these opportunities, as well as a case study of a business that is already working successfully in the space sector. There will also be several exhibitors from partner organisations who will be on hand should you wish to have a chat with them."

The event (which is free) will start at 09:15 and end at 13:00.

The reason I mention that event is that the space industry is one of the few sectors of the British economy that are likely to grow over the next few years notwithstanding Brexit, covid, inflation and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. That is because world demand for space related products and services is growing.  As I said in Commercial Exploitation of Space: Space Industry Act 2018 (10 April 2018 NIPC Law):

"The value of the global space market is between £155 and £190 billion and likely to rise to £400 billion by 2030 according to the Space Sector Report 1 which was prepared for the House of Commons Committee on Exiting the European Union. The Industrial Strategy white paper states that the United Kingdom has about 6.5% of that market and that the government hopes to increase that share to 10% by 2030."

According to the HM Government's National Space Strategy which was published last September, these figures remain on track.

One of the reasons why the government expects the British share of the space market to grow rapidly is that the United Kingdom is developing a satellite launch capability as I noted in Space Industry - Licensing Spaceports on 11 April 2018 in NIPC Law. So far, the government has licensed space ports in Scotland, Cornwall and North Wales.  The nearest to this region is Spaceport Snowdonia at Llanbedr near Harlech which I discussed in It is about Rocket Science on 21 April 2022 and The Space Industry in Wales on 27 Dec 2021 in NIPC Wales.

The expansion of the UK space industry will give rise to many issues over contracts, funding, liability for damage to property on earth and in space from debris and my own speciality intellectual property.  I discussed some of those issues in  The Role of Intellectual Property in Space Commerce on 19 July 2019 in NIPC Cornwall. I have been following those issues since the early 1980s.

Anyone wishing to discuss this article or the legal issues relating to space in general is welcome to call me on 020 7404 5252 during office hours or send me a message through my contact form.

Pennine Cloud's "Smart Holmfirth" Initiative

Author Michael Ely
Licence  Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike 2.0 

Jane Lambert

The government's industrial strategy is built on 5 foundations  one of which is "place".  In conjunction with the national strategy local areas are encouraged to develop their own local industrial strategies to "identify local strengths and challenges, future opportunities and the action needed to boost productivity, earning power and competitiveness."

In a press release published on the 17 Jan 2018 the Leeds City Region local economic partnership announced discussions with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority on a "New inclusive Industrial Strategy to put region at forefront of UK productivity and prosperity." The Leeds City Region covers a vast and diverse area from the Yorkshire Dales to Leeds and Bradford.  Each and every one of the districts of that City region has its own strengths and opportunities for which district strategies will be required.

One of the metropolitan districts of the Leeds City Region is Kirklees which includes small towns and villages in the rural Pennines as well as former mill towns.  It goes without saying that the needs of the rural communities are very different from urban ones.  Realizing that it is up to local communities to help themselves, Will Roebuck, a non-executive member of the Leeds City Region LEP with 25 years experience of information technology, telecommunications and media, has set up a company called the Pennine Cloud which describes itself as "the challenger and accelerator hub for business and community leaders and top managers working across the UK's Pennine region."

On Wednesday, 12 Sep 2018, the Pennine Cloud convened a meeting of representatives of local businesses and other organizations in Holmfirth Methodist Church on 12 Sept 2018 to discuss:

"How do we unlock the opportunities and benefits of the Leeds City Region's digital economy? Especially in rural areas, such as in the South Pennines and Holmfirth?"

The title of the meeting was "Smart Holmfirth' - Enabling Rural Digital Across The Leeds City Region" 

The agenda was as follows:

• 10:00 Understanding the new economic landscape (Will Roebuck)​
• 10:15 Leeds City Region Digital Framework (Sarah Bowes, Steve Moore)​
• 10:45 Brain storms (all)​
• 11:30 Refreshment stop ​
• 11.40 Calming the storms – key observations (all)
• 12.20 Making rain - action stations (Will Roebuck/Valda Smits)​
• 12.30 Filling station - working business lunch.

I did not count them, but I estimate that there were over 30 individuals in the room seated around 5 or 6 tables each of which had a label.  Mine was "Infrastructure" and our table included representatives from Kirklees MDC, a local dairy products company, a retired gentleman who ran a coding club, a lady who ran a local community service organization and me. The labels of the other tables were "Tech", "Skills", "Traditional Business" and so on.

Will gave a full presentation and Sarah a shorter one.  Steve started to speak about funding and the various schemes that were available through the local authority and the LEP. He was immediately challenged by a member of the audience who complained that none of them was available to him or his business. Happily, he said he had obtained funding elsewhere.  A lively exchange followed which was ended when Will asked each of the tables to consider individually the questions that had been out to us.

After a lot of discussion each table nominated a foreman who read out its conclusions all of which seemed very pertinent to me.  We did not really get round to the "Calming storms" or "Making rain" discussions as such but I am not sure that matters.   I understand that Pennine Cloud will refer to our brainstorming in planning an industrial strategy for our area.   This will necessarily be a private sector initiative led by Will and Valda but there is nothing inherently wrong with that.

The only discussion of intellectual property was on the legal protection of big data.  However, I can foresee plenty of inventions and other intellectual assets resulting from this initiative with which I should be glad to assist.   Anyone wishing to discuss this article should call me on 020 7404 5252 or send me a message through my contact form.

Accelerators and Incubators in the Leeds City Region

Jane Lambert

The Government has recently published the first comprehensive directory of accelerators and incubators in the UK compiled by Nesta researchers (see Business Incubators and Accelerators Directory 20 April 2017 NIPC News). The Directory has identified 4 accelerators in the Leeds City Region and 5 incubators. The difference between accelerators and incubators was summarized neatly byTina Nielsen in Business accelerators: a financial shot in the arm for startups 24 Oct 2013:

"The terms business accelerator and incubator are used interchangeably and the distinction is vague, but broadly speaking accelerators offer funding and incubators mainly mentoring."

Both accelerators and incubators help to launch fledgling businesses. Accelerators offer structured development and training with opportunities to attract funding for the most attractive businesses. Incubators are more like serviced offices with mentoring and other forms of business and technical support thrown in.

The four accelerators are all in Leeds. Each of them is part of an enterprise that also operates in other parts of the country:

Name	Website	City
Dotforge	http://dotforge.com/	Leeds
Entrepreneurial Spark	http://www.entrepreneurial-spark.com	Leeds
ODI Leeds	https://odileeds.org/	Leeds
The Young Foundation	http://www.growingsocialventures.org/en	Leeds

.
Dotforge operates in Sheffield and Manchester as well as Leeds. It measures a business's social impact as well as its commercial viability. It offers mentoring and workshops as well as investment. According to its website, it has worked with 31 startups in the three cities. Dotforge claims to be different in that it is "focused on doing good" (see the About page of its website).

The Entrepreneurial Spark claims to be "the world’s largest free business accelerator for early stage and growing ventures." It has 12 hubs around the country in all four nations of the United Kingdom with a 13th about to open in London. The Leeds operation is at 2 Park Cross Street. The Entrepreneurial Spark offers "mentors, ambassadors and supporters, workshops, pitch practice and a full time ‘entrepreneurial enabler'",

ODI Leeds opened in May 2014 shortly after Sir Tim Berners-Lee and Sir Nigel Shadbolt set up the Open Data Institute. The ODI Startup Accelerator is "a year-long, bespoke programme for data-oriented startups". It offers businesses office space at Munro House (which is close to the BBC, Dance Yorkshire, Leeds College of Music, Northern Ballet, Phoenix Dance Theatre and West Yorkshire Playhouse) and various mentoring and other support services for 10% of the issued share capital of the company.

The Young Foundation supports organizations currently under-served by traditional private and public sector funding routes. The Accelerator is a "competitive entry programme for social ventures that are ready to scale, incorporating four months intensive business model development followed by twelve months investment readiness support." The Leeds Accelerator operates in conjunction with the City Council and the Joseph Rowntree Trust. Details of the programme can be downloaded here.

The five incubators in the Leeds City Region are in Barnsley, Bradford, Huddersfield and Leeds. All but one is connected with a university:

Name	Website	City
3M Buckley Innovation Centre	http://www.dhez.org	Huddersfield
Barnsley Business and Innovation  Centre	http://www.bbic.co.uk/	Barnsley
DHEZ	http://www.dhez.org	Bradford
Leeds Innovation Centre	http://www.leedsinnovationcentre.co.uk	Leeds
University of Bradford Business Bioscience Incubation Suite	http://www.bradford.ac.uk/research/faculties/life-sciences/areas-centres/cancer-therapeutics/bioscience-incubation/	Bradford
University of Huddersfield Enterprise Scheme	https://www.hud.ac.uk/enterprise/	Huddersfield

The University of Huddersfield operates the 3M Buckley Innovation Centre and the University of Huddersfield Enterprise Scheme.  The 3M Buckley Innovation Centre is named after Sir George Buckley, a graduate of Huddersfield University, who became CEO of 3MUnited Kingdom Plc. The Centre "facilitates business growth, encourages business to academia collaboration and actively promotes innovation". It caters for all businesses from startups and other small businesses to multinationals and offers "traditional and alternative funding support, national and international markets, skills partners, and access to technology, through a range of commercial, technical and support services." Facilities include hot desks, office space, flexible workshops, laboratories meeting and conference rooms. The University also provides office space, mentoring and other services to undergraduates and recent graduates who wish to set up their own busines.

The University of Bradford supports businesses in bioscience through the Institute of Cancer Therapeutics and digital health through the DHEZ (the Digital Health Enterprise Zone). The University has created a bioscience business incubation suite with offices and laboratories in its ICT building which has so far attracted three companies. Businesses and scientists outside the University are encouraged to join the incubator. The DHEZ offers business support, product design, testing and marketing services and funding.

The Leeds Innovation Centre already provides office space on the University of Leeds campus for businesses that are connected with or work closely with the University. It plans to move to new premises in September 2018 which will offer laboratory space as well as meeting rooms, a lecture theatre, café and other facilities.

The Barnsley Business and Innovation Centre ("BBIC") is the only incubator in the list that is not connected with a university. It offers office accommodation and a range of business support services including a monthly pro bono IP clinic between 10:00 and 12:00 on the second Tuesday of every month from me. Those services have recently been extended to businesses outside the Centre with the BarnsleyBiz Surgeries initiative which will include regular talks by me (see Lunchtime Talk - "How can I protect my Business Idea?" Barnsley BIC 9 May 2017 12-15-13-15 21 April 2017).

Should anyone wish to discuss this article or startup support in general, they should not hesitate to call me on 020 7404 5252 during office hours or send me a message through my contact form, Readers may also be interested in my accelerators and incubators resources page on my Inventors Club blog.

Business Funding in Leeds City Region

Jane Lambert


"Where do I get funding for my business now that the banks have stopped lending?" This is the most frequent question that I have been asked since 2007 at my IP clinics, inventors clubs and talks and seminars for business start-ups even though as an IP lawyer I claim no expertise in business funding. Now at least I have a  website to which I can refer enquiries in the Leeds City Region at any rate.

Leeds City Region LEP
The Leeds City Region Local Enterprise Partnership, which is a collaboration between local authorities and business leaders and academics within commuting distance of Leeds City Centre to promote economic and social development within that region, has gathered together a web page listing all the funding options that are available to businesses in that region  The title of that web page is Business funding options and you will find it at http://business.leedscityregion.gov.uk/support/funding/

Types of Funding 
Funding for businesses falls into two categories:

• long term investment in plant, buildings and other fixed assets; and
• short term funding to purchase stock or meet other immediate priorities.

As a general rule long term investment takes the form of investment in exchange for a share in the business while short term funding takes the form of loans.  If you don't know the difference between investment and lending then your first port of call should be "Business Finance Explained" on the gov.uk website. Once you are clear in your mind as to what you need for your business and what is on offer then take another look at the Business Funding Options web page.

Types of Funding Available

The website offers information on:

• Grants: essentially gifts of money that do not have to be repaid;
• Investments: funding in exchange for shares in a limited company or possibly a partnership; and
• Loans: funding that has to be repaid usually with interest.

Grants

One source of grant funding is The Business Growth Programme which provides grant funding to businesses based in Leeds City Region or planning to invest here. You will find further details on the LEP Business Growth Programme page of the LEP's website. There are details of other grants on the LEP website. There is also a very good website called j4bGrants which publishes a regular newsletter to which you can subscribe.

Investment

This could come from a business angel (a wealthy individual who wishes to invest in a new venture) or an institution that believes that your business will grow very quickly and sees an opportunity to make a substantial profit in two or three years time through a flotation on the stock market or a business sale. The LEP website links to Envestors which manages the Yorkshire Association of Business Angels (a group of business angels based in Yorkshire) and to Finance Yorkshire which provides a range of funding products.

Lending

Traditionally short term lending has been provided by the clearing banks and the LEP has arrangements with a number of banks that have received funding from the Regional Growth Fund to support local business. The Business Funding Options web page mentions those arrangements and links to a number of lending schemes. It also links to  the Business Enterprise Fund which is a community development finance institution which can sometimes offer loans to businesses that would not qualify for bank lending.

Eligibility

The website is directed to businesses that are in, or are contemplating moving to, the Leeds City Region only. Check the coloured map above to see whether you are in or out of that region. This article may still be useful to you even if you are outside this region because other regions make similar provision for businesses in that area.

Legal Advice

Whatever form of funding you seek even if it is a grant you will enter legal relations with, and may well incur legal obligations towards, your funder. Before assuming those obligations you should seek proper advice from an experienced business lawyer. Remember that there are likely to be many issues such as tax, intellectual property and enforcement.  

Further Information

if you want to discuss this article, call me on 020 7404 5252 during business hours or send me a message through my contacfot rm.

Post Script

Kin F. Kam wrote on Linkedin: "If you have an innovative product underdevelopment, or in the hope of developing it, there is also #InnovateUK 's innovation voucher scheme. It's worth £5K. I got mine confirmed last week."

Many thanks for that comment and good luck with the business