"You've had the innovative idea, designed and built the product, but how do you accurately show your design is better than what's gone before? Is a measurement problem blocking your route to market ?"

"There's a measurement problem, but you're not sure how to solve it. Alternatively, the equipment you need is prohibitively expensive, you'd only need to use it for a short time and there's no commercial service supplier in the UK..."

... the DIUS Measurement for Innovators programme can help !

The Measurement for Innovators programme is designed to promote innovation by linking industry with the world class expertise and facilities contained within the UK's National Measurement Institutes (NMI) - NPL, LGC, NEL and NWML

The application for the activity must come from within the NMI, so to find out more please contact the appropriate NMI to discuss your measurement problem.

There are three activities - each designed to tackle a different type of problem:

Joint Industry Projects (JIPs)

These allow the NMIs and industry to work together in a multi-partner project, lasting less than a year, to solve measurement problems (in product or method development). Funding - in cash or kind - from industrial partners can be matched by DIUS. So far, 53 Joint Industry Projects have been funded with a total project value of £4.1 million with government support of £2.1 million.

Consultancies

These are designed to allow world-class NMS experts to work with SMEs to provide advice for a measurement problem at no cost to the recipient. Each must last four days or less, and specific advice on a product or service will be provided. To date, over 130 SMEs have received advice and 50 of these have led directly to the development of new products.

Secondments

Tacit knowledge is a key to innovation and growth. Secondments are designed to develop tacit learning and networking by transferring people in and out of the NMIs for a limited time. The secondments can be to or from industry, academia or other suitable UK organisations. Since the MfI programme was implemented there have been over 100 secondments to and from UK business, academia and other similar organisations which have been key in developing tacit learning and transferring key skills. Many of these have significantly helped UK in the development of new products and processes.

For more information on the MfI programme please contact the NPL Helpline