Scouting out the very best innovations

Apr 23 2009 by Andrew Mernin, The Journal

A new initiative is hoping to unearth the North East inventors of the future. Andrew Mernin meets the Innovation Scout to find out more.

AS he drove through a snowstorm on his journey home to the North East, Gladstone Adams suddenly became aware of a great unmet need.

The Newcastle United club photographer was returning from the 1908 Cup final when he was struck by an idea that would change the motoring world.

How much easier things would be with a device that could clean the snow from the windscreen as he drove, he thought, and so was born the windscreen wiper.

Over 100 years later, a new business is calling on the people of the North East to follow in Gladstone’s footsteps and come up with their own unmet needs which could lead to new inventions, new businesses and ultimately new jobs and wealth for the region.

Innovation Scout has been launched by two Tyneside-based design experts with the aim of scouring the world for everyday problems experienced by individuals and organisations which can be met by scientific solutions.

Nick Devitt and David Townson have already outlined hundreds of new ideas, a few of which are currently being looked at by Newcastle Science City (NSC) as potential future business opportunities.

The pair are also working directly with NSC to help the ambitious scheme to transform Newcastle into a global science hub.

Through its website, inovationscout.co.uk, internet users around the world can submit their ideas, which could then be converted into report ‘cards’ assessing the areas of opportunity related to the idea.

If ideas are deemed as having future potential, Innovation Scout will then seek to bring together partners, possible investors or experts in the field to meet and discuss ways of turning those ideas into a commercial solution.

:: Click here to submit your idea to the Innovation Scout.