Digital Catapult finds business boosted by start-ups

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Collaborating with start-ups is part of the long-term business strategy for manufacturers looking for skills and creativity outside of their organisation.

This is one of the findings from a Digital Catapult survey carried out amongst 100 UK manufacturing leaders which found 73 per cent of respondents looking to partner with start-ups.

A further 82 per cent said that working with start-ups will help them accelerate digital transformation objectives.

Only a quarter said collaborating with start-up businesses to experiment with technologies is a priority in the next 12 months, despite 92 per cent of those who have already worked with a start-up saying they would do so again. Top barriers to manufacturing leaders working with start-ups included a fear of failure, and a lack of time.

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“Many manufacturing heavyweights are not making collaboration with innovative early-stage companies a priority in the next year, despite recognising the potential benefits,” said Jeremy Silver, Digital Catapult CEO. “Our survey suggests that there is a danger that UK companies will miss out on the opportunity to be early adopters of new technologies, and learn from start-ups’ creativity, innovation and agility.”

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