Innovation doesn’t have to mean inventing something completely new. It could be adopting AI, improving a process, reducing costs, developing your workforce, becoming more sustainable or simply finding a better way of doing something.
Our Innovation Connectors can help businesses explore those opportunities and connect them with the right expertise, facilities and support.
Innovation starts with understanding where you are now and where you want to go.
Our Innovation Diagnostic helps us understand your business, identify opportunities for growth and innovation, and connect you with the most relevant expertise, funding and support.
With over 50 years of combined experience supporting businesses, Karen Fitzpatrick and Karen Dudley help organisations across Stockport and Trafford identify opportunities for growth, improve productivity and access specialist expertise, funding and innovation support.
Karen brings over 20 years of experience supporting businesses to improve performance, develop their workforce and achieve sustainable growth. Her expertise spans business development, employer engagement, skills and workforce planning, business diagnostics and strategic relationship management.
Karen has worked extensively with business owners and senior leaders to identify growth opportunities, address workforce challenges and connect organisations with tailored support solutions. She has a strong track record in helping businesses navigate change, improve productivity and access opportunities that support long-term development.
Karen is particularly passionate about enabling SMEs to turn ideas into action and build the skills, capacity and partnerships needed for future growth.
Talk to Karen about a business challenge or idea.
Karen is an experienced innovation and business growth specialist with more than 30 years of supporting organisations across the public and private sectors. For over a decade she has specialised in helping businesses innovate, commercialise new ideas and access the expertise, funding and networks needed to accelerate growth.
Her expertise includes innovation diagnostics, business growth strategy, commercialisation, productivity improvement, business transformation and innovation project development.
Karen has supported hundreds of organisations to develop new products, services and processes, helping businesses overcome barriers to innovation and realise growth opportunities. She brings extensive knowledge of the Greater Manchester innovation landscape and is skilled at connecting businesses with the right partners, resources and support to deliver measurable impact.
Talk to Karen about a business challenge or idea.
TSCG is part of the Greater Manchester Colleges Innovation Connector Network, funded by Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA).
Our Innovation Connectors help businesses across Trafford and Stockport identify opportunities, explore solutions and connect with the expertise, facilities and support they need to innovate and grow.
Whether you’re looking to improve productivity, explore new technologies, develop your workforce or solve a business challenge, we’re here to help.
If the support a business needs isn’t available directly through TSCG, our role is to help connect them to the right expertise across Greater Manchester.
You don’t need to arrive with an innovation project.
Start with a challenge and we’ll help you explore the possibilities.
Explore a problem, opportunity or idea with one-to-one support.
Identify new processes, technologies or ways of working that could improve efficiency and performance.
Understand where AI, automation and emerging technologies could add value to the business.
Identify skills requirements and connect to training, apprenticeships and workforce development.
Connect with specialist facilities and technical expertise within TSCG and across Greater Manchester.
Navigate the wider innovation landscape and connect to relevant programmes, partners and funding opportunities.
Meet other businesses, specialists and partners and develop new ideas and opportunities.
It could be:
You don’t need to arrive with an innovation project. Start with the challenge and we’ll help you explore the possibilities.
Innovation isn’t only about new technology. It’s also about developing the skills, confidence and mindset needed to identify opportunities, solve problems and drive continuous improvement.
Through the Greater Manchester Colleges Innovation Connector Network, businesses may have opportunities to engage with innovation-focused learning activities, including Innovation Literacy and Apprentice Innovation Ambassador initiatives.
These activities help employees and apprentices develop the confidence to:
Whether you’re looking to develop future talent or encourage innovation across your workforce, your Innovation Connector can help you explore the opportunities available.
Find out about innovation solutions for your business today.
