Over 150 business leaders and supporters from the digital and creative sector attended the launch of the LCR Activate project last week (Tuesday 3rd October), to hear how SMEs can grow their business through accessing emerging technologies.
The three-year project will strengthen the digital and creative sector in the Liverpool City Region by giving SMEs access to LJMU’s technical and business development expertise, FACT’s event programme, equipment and creative networks and the LEP’s management of other business support programmes.
The event, held at FACT, was opened by Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, Steve Rotheram, who has put digital development at the heart of his manifesto for the City Region.
Chair of Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), Asif Hamid MBE, spoke about how the success of projects such as this depend on getting the right people with the right skills working in collaboration.
Private sector representatives from BBC Radio Merseyside, Ngunan Adamu, and Amaze, Amanda Follit spoke about the importance of constant innovation for the industry. Amanda illustrated ways Amaze had changed clients’ digital operations structures to be more effective and stay ahead of their competitors.
Professor Paulo Lisboa, the lead for LCR Activate and Head of Applied Mathematics in the Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Liverpool John Moores University, introduced the project and its aims in supporting businesses.
Michael Gleaves, Deputy Director at the Hartree Centre, closed the event with examples of ways the expertise and equipment at Hartree removes the barriers faced by SMEs scaling up their businesses using cognitive computing and big data.
LCR Activate provides access to emerging technologies in cognitive computing for SMEs in Liverpool City Region’s digital and creative sector. This ERDF-funded project is led by Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) with FACT (Foundation for Art and Creative Technology) and the Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) as partners.
If you are interested in hearing how the project can help your business then please fill in the contact form at www.lcractivate.co.uk or register here for the our first State of the Art Event. The State of the Art event series will showcase the latest creative applications of emerging technologies, beginning with Apps and Services: Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality on 9th November.
LCR Activate is sponsoring the Digital Summit on Thursday 19th October and is encouraging digital and creative businesses to be part of this showcase event. Places are limited but you can register your interest here.
Pictured: Prof. Paulo J G Lisboa at LCR Activate Launch