Making SParcs Fly

Colwyn Bay

Author Dot Potter Licence CC BY-SA 2.0 Source Wikimedia Commons

 

Jane Lambert

M-SParc (the Menai Science Park) has a mission is to promote science and technology throughout Wales and not just in Anglesey.  According to its press release, M-SParc takes Tech on Tour by Launching New Colwyn Bay Location personnel from the science park engaged with nearly 700 local residents on visits to  Bethesda and Botwnnog before lockdown.  Those visits have now resumed and M-SParc's latest port of call is Colwyn Bay where it has established a temporary base at 29 Conway Road.

Like many seaside resorts, Colwyn Bay flourished in the 19th and early 20th centuries.  Since the middle of the last century,  it has lost holidaymakers to sunnier destinations. Dwindling numbers of visitors discouraged investment in tourism and hospitality.  The pier closed in 2009 because it had been allowed to fall into disrepair though it should be remembered that some new attractions have opened such as the Welsh Mountain Zoo and the Colwyn Leisure Centre in Eirias Park.

Though such developments are welcome it makes sense for Colwyn Bay to broaden its economic base with new businesses in the high tech and creative industries.   To encourage the formation, establishment and growth of such businesses, M-SParc will offer at Conway Road all the activities that take place in Gaerwen including Ffiws Maker Space, hot desks, co-working space, business, design, technology and innovation workshops and seminars, as well as science and technology sessions for young people.  

The following events take place at 29 Conway Road on the dates and at the times indicated:

• 7 Sept 2021  17:00 - 20:00  Noson Gofod Gwneud - Makerspace Evening 
• 21 Sept 2021 19:00 - 20:00 Arwyr Lleol Sgwrs Tech - Local Heroes of Tech Talk 
• 23 Sept 2021 13:00 - 13:45 Trefi SMART Towns 
• 23 Sept 2021 18:30 - 19:30  Gweithdu FreeCAD Workshop 
• 28 Sept 2021  18:00 -19:00 Technocamps - Sesiwn ddigidol i blant / A digital session for children, and 
• 29 Sept 2021 16:00 - 17:00 Clwb Sparci - Sbarduno Science Session

I have a personal interest in the Ffiws events because I had the pleasure of addressing its members on 15 April 2020. I had intended to give the talk in Porthmadog in person but was prevented from visiting Wales by the pandemic. However, I presented the talk over Zoom and my slides can be downloaded here,

Gogledd Creadigol is the forum for the creative industries in North Wales. On 15 Sept 2021, it will host an event called Cocktails and Creativity which will take place at M-SParc and online. One of the guests is Elin Fflur about whom I knew nothing until I started to learn Welsh just over a year ago.  As I suspect that many others in the English speaking world have yet to be introduced to her, I urge them to listen to her sing Ar Lan y Môr ("By the Sea Shore") with Max Boyce.  She is good as are a whole galaxy of singers, musicians, film and programme-makers and even a chip munching talking orangutan - all of whom I have discovered through learning Welsh.  Other guests will include Stifyn Parri, Osian Gwynn, art director of the Pontio Arts Centre and guests from the TV series Rownd a Rownd.

Crucial to the success of all businesses - but particularly those in the high tech and creative industries - is the legal protection of their investment in branding, design, technology and creativity. Guests from the Intellectual Property Office, the Welsh Government, Inngot and BIC Innovation stressed its importance for startups on World Intellectual Prop[erty Day (see Menai Science Park's Contribution to World IP Day 2021 25 April 2021).  It is even more important for businesses seeking angel or private equity investment or flotation on the Alternative Investment Market as attendees will hear at our in-person and live-streamed webinar  IP & SME - Scaling Up on 11 Nov 2021.

In the meantime, readers are reminded that choosing the optimum legal protection for their brands, designs, technology and creativity, for the time being, can make all the difference between business failure and a howling success.   They will find guidance in Choosing the Right IP Protection which I posted on 24 April 2019.  If they want to discuss this matter further, they can book a free 30-minute appointment over Zoom by completing this simple form.

An Inventors' Club for Northwest Wales?

Jane Lambert

"Ffiws" means, and is pronounced as, "Fuse" in English.  It is the name of a maker space with 3D printers, laser cutters and other digitally controlled equipment.  It is a partnership between Menter Môn, Gwynedd Council and several other agencies in North Wales.  Earlier this year I was invited to give a talk at its premises in Porthmadog.  Sadly, the visit had to be cancelled because of the pandemic but I still delivered the talk over Zoom and my slides can be downloaded from Slideshare if anyone is interested.

I think Ffiws is a great resource and the reason I mention it again now is that it has a base at the Menai Science Park (M-SParc).  According to the Ffiws page on the M-SParc website, its facilities are available to the park's tenants and members of the Enterprise hub.  Its equipment will also be taken on tour with M-SParc for demonstrations to, and possible use by, residents of the places M-SParc visits.  There is similar equipment at the Bangor FabLab in the Pontio Centre though that building is temporarily closed for public health reasons.

On 8 Sept 2020, the business and professional networks that have developed around M-SParc will be celebrated in the Ecosystem 2.0 Webinar. Each member of those networks has been allocated 3 minutes to talk about their work or interests.  I shall use mine to propose an inventors' club for North Wales to make use of Ffiws and FabLab and draw on the expertise of the Ecosystem.

The Business and IP Centre explained the need for an inventors' club in an article strap lined "Great ideas can change the world":

"whilst lots of us often spot the potential for a new product or piece of technology, the harsh realities of research and development, prototyping, manufacturing and distribution often mean that few of those ideas actually make it to market."

Those words apply at least as much to inventors, designers, makers and entrepreneurs in Northwest Wales as they do to London.   This is the British Library's solution:

"The Inventors’ Club has been established by the Business & IP Centre to give budding inventors the opportunity to network with others in the same boat, hear from speakers who have successfully commercialised their inventions, stay motivated and share insider hints, tips, expertise and experience. You’ll get feedback on your inventions in a safe, non-judgmental environment and also find out about how the Library’s extensive collection of business and commercial data can help you on your journey from someone with a great idea, to having a product on the market."

I set up and chaired inventors' clubs in Leeds, Liverpool and Sheffield and supported the ones in Blackburn and Manchester.   I can say from experience that they work.  In each of those cities, the clubs helped entrepreneurs and inventors to set up new businesses or license the manufacture and sale of their products to other companies. 

The Wessex Region of Technologists and Inventors in Southampton has published a useful article on Starting an Inventors Club on its website.  A Northwest Wales inventors' club is not something that can be run from outside.   Local people must want it enough to set it up and manage it.  If anybody in Northwest Wales is willing to take the initiative I shall place my expertise, experience and connections at his or her disposal.  Anybody wishing to discuss this proposal may call me on 020 7404 5252 during office hours or send me a message through my contact form.