Synopsis: The Centre for High Value Added Products

Updated and transferred from renewal.net. The findings of research into manufacturing in the West Midlands showed that the region had suffered from increased competition. One area of growth was in design-led manufacturing. This led to the creation of the Centre for High Value Added Products, an internet-based resource for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), located within Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter. It was set up by the Birmingham Institute of Art and Design to provide information, advice and assistance to make SMEs more competitive. The aim of the project was to aid the manufacturing sector to become more knowledge intensive and to develop the use of design and innovation in order to become more competitive. Eleven sector-specific sites have been set up for a number of high value added products including jewellery, furniture, furnishings, tableware, ceramics, crystal and glass, leather goods, interior design and designer clothing. Presentations, seminars and workshops are held, often in conjunction with other local and regional projects. A newsletter is distributed featuring user success stories and details of new information added to the sites. Promotional CD-roms are delivered by direct mail. The high value added products sector services clients involved in every major industrial sector in the UK. ‘The Business of Design Research 2005’ found that just over 54 per cent of design-led businesses expected their turnover to rise in the following year.