Our Centres are focused on supporting all growth, knowledge and innovation-led businesses and in particular those from the media, creative, eco, environmental, and health and wellbeing sectors. Support is offered to businesses at all stages of their journey from incubation through to mature enterprises looking to innovate and grow.
The management of all three Centres is delivered by Plymouth University on behalf of Cornwall Council. Cornwall Innovation has been supported by the European Regional Development Fund Convergence Programme.
Cornwall Innovation comprises the county's newest business acceleration facilities; the Pool Innovation Centre, Tremough Innovation Centre and the Health and Wellbeing Innovation Centre based at Treliske in Truro.
The Pool Innovation Centre business acceleration facility welcomes start-up and existing businesses from a range of sectors to:
The Tremough Innovation Centre business acceleration facility welcomes businesses from the creative, media, eco and environmental science sectors to:
The Health & Wellbeing Innovation Centre business acceleration facility welcomes knowledge based businesses within sectors that support health and wellbeing to:
Cornwall Innovation is Cornwall's newest business acceleration facility that comprises of the Pool Innovation Centre, Tremough Innovation Centre and the Health and Wellbeing Innovation Centre.
Cornwall Innovation consists of the Pool, Tremough and Health & Wellbeing Innovation Centres. Each has its own Centre Manager, Administrator and Clerical Assistant with the Cornwall Innovation Director overseeing the whole family.
Bernard was born and educated in Plymouth with strong family ties to Cornwall. He has started and successfully developed two businesses in Cornwall and Devon, exiting the last in 2001. He then engaged in Business consultancy and support as a mechanism of assisting others through the difficult journey of starting and running their own businesses.
Bernard has worked with the Business Link organisation in Devon and Cornwall developing programmes aimed at increasing business start-up success rates and minimising the impact of large employer closures with the community and supply chain. In particular he was engaged in supporting the staff of Compair Holman during the Camborne factories closure, developing four new business ventures and assisting over 46 supply chain enterprises to minimise the impact of the closure.
Bernard has most recently worked within the University of Plymouth looking at areas where the commercial experience he has gained can add value. These areas include the licensing of 'new knowledge' from research to business, engaging business in the exploitation of University research outcomes, identifying and managing intellectual property, engaging the academic community in commercial problem solving and enhancing the 'knowledge economy' by creating opportunities for true knowledge transfer. Most recently developing the business plans to deliver, on behalf of Cornwall Council, the Innovation Centres in Cornwall.
Bernard has a Masters level 7 certificate in Business Strategy achieved in 2007 and regularly delivers enterprise learning modules to graduate and postgraduate level students.
Bernard competes in motor sport, at a high level, achieving significant success in a variety of self-built and developed vehicles. Bernard enjoys golf despite not being very good and enjoys relaxing with friends and family.
Richard left school at 16 years old to undertake a 4 year commercial apprenticeship at a leading stainless steel company based in the West Midlands. He stayed in this industry for 15 years holding a number of Senior Manager positions before changing industries completely and moving to France to manage French Life Holidays, a respected Tour Operator with over 1000 units of accommodation in Brittany and Normandy. The company grew and was eventually sold to Canvas Holidays and Richard returned to England in 2004 and took the position of Skills Broker Manager for Business Link based in Plymouth.
After 3 successful years at Business Link, Richard took up the position of Head of Sales and Marketing at Langage Farm Dairy Products in Plymouth taking them from a £3million turnover company to £5million in less than 3 years thanks to the award of national contracts with Tesco, Morrison's, Waitrose and Somerfield.
Richard was appointed as Manager of the Pool Innovation Centre in December 2010. He is responsible for the day to day running of the centre.
In his spare time Richard enjoys watching rugby and cricket and is a frustrated ex player! Also enjoys a round of golf when he can find the time and plays off 22. Richard enjoys holidaying in France, eating out and drinking good wine, particularly a New Zealand Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc!
Richard's first engagement with business was almost 20 years ago when he was involved in an antique restoration business based on the Gulf Coast of Florida. He has also operated his own pub business in the UK, which saw him write the weekly quiz and led on to him taking a team to appear on BBC2's Eggheads. More recently he's worked in business support and knowledge transfer roles for Universities in London, Essex and Dorset and also had a career working corporately for Holiday Inn and Hilton.
Having returned to education in his 30's, Richard earned his European Studies and Spanish degrees at Plymouth University and the Universidad Europea de Madrid where he spent an ERASMUS year and gained a deep appreciation of Spanish food and wine.
Having joined the Pool Innovation Centre the week after the building was handed over by the contractors, Leisha has been involved in the growth and development of the Centre from the start.
Five years as owner/manager of a privately owned dental practice operating within the NHS and considerable experience providing support at board level to major blue chip companies gives Leisha with a sound basis to provide support to clients of the Innovation Centre.
Through her work at PIC and as a consequence of running her own businesses she has a good understanding of the services and support available to growing SMEs and works closely with the individuals and organisations involved in providing this support locally.
Leisha is passionate about assisting the SME business community to develop and grow through offering support both to tenants and new enquiries to the centre and through the PIC conferencing facilities. She has been responsible for supporting businesses and entrepreneurs from initial enquiry thorough to tenancy and growth.
Leisha has two teenage sons who keep her on her toes and is a keen tennis player; she has been known to continue playing even after it has started to snow!
Annie joined the Cornwall Innovation team in June 2011 in the role of administrator for Tremough Innovation Centre. Annie grew up in Cornwall, right by the beautiful seaside and three miles of golden sand. In 2009, she graduated from the University of Lincoln with a BA Honours degree in Advertising and Public Relations.
After graduating, Annie balanced her time between managing her family owned restaurant, where she really started to appreciate how to operate a small local business, and working full time as an administrator for Cornwall College.
In January 2010, she independently travelled across Asia and the South Pacific for 6 months, where she experienced some great adventures such as sky diving, bungy jumping, white and black water rafting, glacier hikes and scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef.
Upon returning to England, she worked in a marketing agency where she dealt with various clients ranging from local start-up businesses to national and international corporations, assisting with client projects, event management and media planning.
Annie is a genuine shopaholic, a lover of sunshine and a self-confessed foodie. She believes that all problems can be easily resolved by great cups of tea and unlimited amounts of laughter!
Lizzie joined the Cornwall Innovation team as Clerical Assistant for the Tremough Innovation Centre in February 2012.
Having been born and brought up in Cornwall, Lizzie graduated from University College Falmouth in 2011 with a BA Honours degree in English with Media.
Shortly after graduating, Lizzie attended an Employability Course with Unlocking Cornish Potential achieving a Higher Education Level 5 Module in Employability. In August 2011 she began a 6 month placement as Marketing Assistant based at the Pool Innovation Centre. Her prime objective was to manage the development of the new Cornwall Innovation website.
Whilst at University she was involved in the marketing of the college newspaper and acted as a mentor for first year students. During her three year study she worked part time at the Greenbank Hotel Falmouth giving her valuable interpersonal skills and the training to make a very good cocktail. In her spare time she helped paint scenery at a local amateur dramatic society and had the opportunity to visit Australia, where her brother lives.
Lizzie has a strong work ethic, always enjoys meeting new people and believes in having a positive outlook on life. In her spare time she enjoys walking, cycling and playing tennis.
Lorraine Kavanagh joined the team in December 2011 as Clerical Assistant and is based on reception at Pool Innovation Centre. Growing up in the South East of England she moved to Cornwall in 1998 and caught the travel bug from the new friends she met while living in Newquay. After travelling around Asia and working in Australia and New Zealand for two years she returned to Cornwall.
Lorraine has a background in Administration and as a Personal Assistant working in both the private and public sector. She has supported Directors in the NHS gaining a wide knowledge base in Human Resources Policies and has been involved in the selection and recruitment, grievance and disciplinary procedures. Lorraine also has experience working in the Social Care, Chartered Accountancy and Marketing fields.
Lorraine has recently completed the NVQ Level 4 Diploma in Business and Administration and is also a keen craftsperson, who has recently turned her hand to silver jewellery making, taking evening courses at the local college to further her skills.
The Cornwall Innovation team welcome enquiries from local businesses wishing to accelerate the growth of their enterprise, discuss the opportunity to tenant, engage through affiliate membership or engage with the centres meeting and conference facilities.
Enquiries: 0800 052 5600
Centre reception: 01209 714676
Email:
enquiries@poolinnovationcentre.co.uk
Enquiries: 0800 052 5600
Centre reception: 01326 330066
Email:
enquiries@tremoughinnovationcentre.co.uk
Enquiries: 0800 052 5600
Centre reception: 01872 330030
Email:
enquiries@hwic.co.uk