Innovative rural businesses to be showcased at conference

Videos will be premiered on 6 October

Six innovative businesses in Northumberland which portray the rich diversity of the rural economy are to be showcased at a conference next week.

Videos of the pioneering firms – all examples of national-leading innovation in rural enterprise – will be premiered at the Rural Catalyst Conference at Charlton Hall, near Alnwick, on Thursday 6 October.

The short firms, organised by the National Innovation Centre for Rural Enterprise (NICRE), will demonstrate how each of the businesses uses innovation and why it is important. Alongside celebrating the firms’ successes, it is hoped that the videos will urge other rural enterprises to recognise that they are innovative.

The businesses featured are Bedmax (near Belford); Calibrate Energy Engineering (near Bamburgh); Culture Creative (Belford); First & Last Brewery (Bellingham); Tights, Tights, Tights (Morpeth) and Pilgrim’s Coffee (Holy Island).

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‘Problem-solving’ is the foundation of Bedmax

Tim Smalley, managing director of Bedmax, which produces bespoke horse bedding, said: “Our part of Northumberland is a hotbed of innovation in rural enterprise and we are proud that we are just one of a number of firms that are leading the way nationally and internationally in our respective fields.

“Problem-solving is the foundation of our business and we have a long history of devising our own solutions in order to adapt and move forward in response to market demand.

“We’re pleased that, alongside our peers, we are being celebrated for our innovative approaches at the Rural Catalyst Conference.”

Breadth of rural enterprise

Prof Jeremy Phillipson, director of NICRE, said: “The businesses being showcased in our videos epitomise the breadth of rural enterprise in this country.

“From manufacturing horse bedding to providing commercial renewable energy systems, these businesses demonstrate that being based in a rural area is no barrier to innovation.

“While their products and services may differ, what they all have in common is a passion to adapt and diversify in response to market challenges and opportunities which, in these uncertain economic times, has never been more important.

“We hope that by sharing these stories it will inspire other firms to grow their businesses and acknowledge that they are also innovative which can only help to boost the rural economy.”

Sign-up to attend conference online

To register to attend the conference, organised by the Rural Design Centre Innovation Project (RDCIP) and NICRE, online – register here. In-person attendance is full.

Following the event, the videos will be hosted on NICRE's website and on social media @NICRErural.

The conference is part of the Rural Catalyst initiative, a collaboration between Rural Design Centre (RDC), which delivers RDCIP, and NICRE to tackle the challenges facing rural areas through research, innovation, design and community engagement.

It will feature a mix of high-profile national speakers, workshops and a debate on the future of rural North East.

Caption: Tim Smalley, managing director of Bedmax, one of six innovative rural businesses being showcased at the Rural Catalyst Conference.