Uncategorized

For science and technology businesses, innovation rarely follows a straight line. For many start-ups and scaling businesses working in biotechnology, life sciences, healthcare and microbiology, access to professional laboratory facilities can be one of the biggest barriers to growth.

Why stepping away from your business can feel harder than leaving for holiday
For many business owners, the countdown to a holiday brings mixed emotions.
There is the excitement of a well-earned break, time with family and friends, and the chance to recharge. But running alongside that is often a familiar worry: what happens to the business while you’re away?

The EpiCentre welcomes Richardson Design Associates Limited (RDA-UK), a specialist consultancy founded by below-ground structural waterproofing expert Luke Dear, who has chosen the innovation centre’s virtual office facilities as the headquarters for his new business.

As artificial intelligence transforms the way people search online, businesses are being urged to rethink their digital marketing strategies by Gary Jennings, Innovation Director at The EpiCentre in Haverhill, who has published a new book explaining how organisations can increase being referenced in Google’s AI Answers without the need for a large marketing budget.

For many growing SMEs, marketing can feel like a constant challenge. You’re posting on social media, attending networking events, updating your website and sending emails – but are those activities actually guiding potential customers towards a sale?
That was the focus of a recent workshop delivered by marketing specialist Anna Bravington, Innovation Director at Fareham Innovation Centre, who explored how businesses can use marketing funnels to better understand customer behaviour and improve conversions.

Powered by 1956 Individuals, the conversational AI platform from SKC Studios, that is based at The EpiCentre in Haverhill, the avatar greeted shoppers and introduced them to Scan & Pack, the IKEA app feature that lets customers scan items as they shop and pay in seconds, with IKEA Family rewards applied automatically.

Entrepreneur Dr Shola Adeyemi, who has multiple business interests, has taken a virtual office at The EpiCentre in Haverhill, to grow his two AI-powered businesses: AgriTwin Intelligence, focusing on insights from leaves, and security business CheetahSwift Security

Biotix, a biotech company specialising in skin microbiome research, joined The EpiCentre in Haverhill in 2021. At the time, the company was in its earliest stages, with a bold scientific vision but in need of the right environment to turn that vision into reality.

Recent findings from a customer survey across the Oxford Innovation Space network, which includes The EpiCentre, has reinforced the important role that tailored business support plays in helping companies grow, overcome challenges and plan confidently for the future.

For many businesses, particularly start-ups, consultants and growing SMEs, a virtual office offers a professional and flexible way to build credibility without the costs of a permanent workspace.