Useful Links

Within this section you will find a list of useful links to the articles, universities, research organisations, and the institutions able to support ‘innovative’ businesses and activities in the O2C Arc area.

http://www.beds.ac.uk/knowledgehub/innovation Find out how the University of Bedfordshire can help your company innovate.

http://www.essex.ac.uk/seb - The School of Entrepreneurship and Business is one of the key components of the University of Essex at its Southend Campus.

http://www.blog.guykawasahi.com/2006/06/how_to_kick_sil.html - so this is how anyone can replicate the Silicon Valley Experience?!

http://www.ifm.eng.cam.ac.uk/ctm/teg/cambridgetechnopole.html - key Cambridge University Site – Learn all about the Cambridge Technopole.

http://www.cambridgeinvestmentresearch.com/index.htm - CIR Ltd is a leading independent technology consultancy based in Cambridge. They produce some excellent amps and descriptions of the Cambridge cluster.

http://www.jointventure.org - A key Silicon Valley Web-site. Established in 1993, Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network provides analysis and action on issues affecting the region's economy and quality of life. The organization brings together established and emerging leaders - from business, government, academia, labour and the broader community - to spotlight issues and work toward innovative solutions.

http://design.open.ac.uk/research/research_dig.htm - The Design Innovation Group (DIG) is a multi-disciplinary research group based in the Department of Design and Innovation at the Open University. It was founded in 1979 in order to examine the role of design in competitiveness and to identify factors relating to the success and failure of design and new product development in manufacturing industry. Group members from the OU and the University of Manchester have conducted major international studies of the practice and management of product design and innovation in firms from a variety of industries, ranging from bicycles and plastic products to railways, electronics and computing. Recently, the focus of the OU members of the DIG has been on eco-design and sustainable innovation.

http://www.hefce.ac.uk - our higher educational funding council – find out what’s happening!

http://www.innovating-regions.org/index.cfm - A very useful EU site, which aims to strengthen the global competitiveness of European regions by promoting innovation policies, and by providing a unique platform for regions to cooperate and learn from each other.

http://hwww.eeia.com - East of England International delivers UK Trade & Investment services to regional businesses wanting to trade internationally. The organisation also provide free and confidential advice to overseas-owned companies wanting to establish a presence or expand in the UK.

http://www.jbs.cam.ac.uk - as the Judge says “A great business school at the heart of Cambridge University, advancing knowledge and leadership through people who leave a mark on the world....The world class faculty of the School comprises over 80 members. They represent all continents and likewise their research interests span the globe and the full spectrum of business issues. Many are leaders in their field directing cutting-edge research, consulting for top businesses, advising governments, and most of all, bringing their experiences and new found knowledge into the classroom”

http://www.bayeconfor.org/basic/basicmission.html - The Bay Area Science and Innovation Consortium (BASIC) is the only regional entity dedicated to advancing the San Francisco Bay Area’s leadership in science, technology and innovation in the increasingly competitive national and international R&D environment.

http://www.siliconvalleyonline.org/cities.html - Silicon Valley’s long list of innovations is a by-product of their greatest assets—the bright people and the smart ideas that call the Valley home. The region boasts a remarkable concentration of entrepreneurial savvy, innovative thinking, free-wheeling technical creativity, cultural diversity, and intellectual energy, all of which make it the right place for visionary people and forward-looking companies to locate. Add to that a fabulous lifestyle, world-class amenities, and a dense cluster of supporting services and you may realise why Silicon Valley is truly unique.

http://www.bayeconfor.org - The Bay Area Economic Forum is a public-private partnership of business, government, university, labour and community leaders and develops analyses and implements programs to strengthen the region’s competitive economy and quality of life.

http://www.rtp.org - The site of the famous Research Triangle in North Carolina USA.

http://www.sbs.ox.ac.uk - Established in 1996, Oxford University’s Saïd Business School is Europe’s fastest-growing business school, with a reputation for innovative business education. The School combines the highest standards of academic rigour with a practical understanding of business and wealth creation. The Said maintains that the faculty are engaged in boundaryextending research on key management issues, in dialogue with the wider intellectual community and with practitioners. The Saïd Business School is fully integrated into one of the world’s greatest universities. This allows the School to draw on Oxford’s strengths across a range of subjects, including sociology, economics, law, psychology, politics and international relations. Working at the interface of disciplines, faculty and researchers are mining rich new insights into issues such as the politics of global business, the rise of science entrepreneurship, the management of innovation, and the social and commercial impact of information systems and the Internet. By collaborating actively with faculty from other disciplines, the Said School aims to transcend the traditional functional divisions of a business school in order to reflect the complex realities of business and society in today’s global economy.

http://www.wired.com/wired/index.html - go see if you are among WIRED’s top 40 innovative companies!

http://www.bedfordi-lab.com - Whether you want to bring an innovative product or service to market or if you want to develop new ways of working to increase your competitiveness and business success Bedford i-lab can help you do that.

http://www.investinbedford.com - The Bedford Development Agency is a partnership between local companies and Bedford Borough Council.