The UK’s first independent research and development organisation dedicated to helping high-tech companies maximise the exploitation of innovative product ideas and the intellectual property rights attached to them has set out its long-term vision.

Advanced Digital Institute (ADI), based in Bingley, West Yorkshire, may be unique in Britain in bringing together the public and private sectors to exploit global high-tech opportunities but its philosophy is founded upon a highly successful Continental model.

Germany’s Fraunhofer-Gesellscahft (F-G) undertakes applied research for public and private enterprises and works within both the industrial and service sectors. As Europe’s leading applied research organistion it now has 58 institutes throughout Germany, employs 12,400 people and has a research budget of 1.25 billion Euros.

ADI chief executive Ged Powell, who previously worked in Silicon Valley California, as vice president and chief strategy officer for mobile phone company NTT DoCoMo USA before being head-hunted to set-up the ADI, said: “In Germany IT companies of all sizes seek the resources and expertise of F-G to help them bring new products to market more quickly and to ensure that IP rights are fully preserved.

“We see ADI performing this type of role in the UK by acting as a cataylst or creative hub in helping high-tech companies develop leading-edge solutions for what is certainly a global market.”

Initially funded by regional development agency Yorkshire Forward, Bradford Metropolitan District Council and the EU regional Fund, ADI will become self-financing within three years. During that time it is expected to generate 165 new jobs and to have helped create 25 new companies.

The need for an organisation such as ADI was determined after research and a feasibility study carried out in Germany. From this it was realised that many smaller companies did not have the resources to maximise the value of their IP while for bigger firms the projected initial sales for a new product might be too low to justify the investment to secure IP.

Ged Powell said: “The UK high-tech industry is famously resourceful and inventive. We want to encourage that and to ensure that innovative companies keep the rewards”

Although based in West Yorkshire ADI operates on a national and international basis, bringing small and larger companies together in co-operative projects which will benefit from academic and research input from leading universities.

Initially, ADI is focusing on digital television, wireless communications and consumer networking technologies but will quickly grow into related areas such RFID and software development. This growth, and the generation fo revenues estimated at £3 million over the next three years, will be based on the recruitment of teams of full time R&D engineers augmented by secondments from industry and by university and research students.

ADI’s Technology Centre will, says Ged Powell, provide companies with class-leading R&D facilities which they can use on an outsourced basis. “In addition, our Solutions Centre will supply the answers they need to help take innovative ideas through the development stage and to market in the most effective and efficient way. We see this as essential in helping small companies to thrive.”

Bingley in West Yorkshire was chosen as the home for ADI because of the burgeoning number of high-tech companies in the region. Throughout Yorkshire there are estimated to be 13,000 companies operating in the digital industries sector and employing 130,000 people. Yet spending on R&D in Yorkshire is the lowest of any region in the UK and only a third of the UK average.

Research also shows shows that only 5% of companies are planning to invest in innovation, compared with 30% in 2000, and that only 6% of the region’s firms have links with universities.

Ged Powell said: “This inevitably means that a great deal of highly valuable creativity is not being exploited due to lack of resources – not just in Yorkshire but nationally. We need to change that quickly if the UK is to be a significant player in high technology product development and manufacture. Bringing that about is at the heart of our vision for the future.”

For further information please contact: Alf Lombardi, Shrewdd,               07879 634864        or email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it