INNOVATION is at the forefront of a campaign being launched by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) this week under the slogan: “HIE time to innovate.”

It will be launched on Friday to mark Innovation Day and follows news that HIE’s funding for the project has increased turnover for local organisations by £2.2 million – and aims to generate a further £1.4m.

The campaign will offer companies the tools to bring their creative visions to life, with 24 hours of offering them access to funding, a free hotline and opportunities to book one-to-one consultations with innovation experts.

It will also roll out various campaign activities, ranging from digital content provided by online experts, peer influencers and industry leaders to hyper-localised events delivering networking opportunities.

One of the agency’s aims is to continue realising Scotland’s commercial ambitions, where innovation is a driver of long-term competitiveness at the heart of the country’s economic strategy.

Over the past two years, HIE’s innovation team has supported more than 500 local organisations and awarded 30 small business grants, totalling over £270,000.

As a result, it has directly increased employment by almost 80, and the HIE time to innovate #HIEtime campaign aims to build on these successes by extending support to the yet untapped pool of businesses that could benefit from innovation.

Gillian Galloway, HIE’s head of innovation says she is focused on ensuring it makes a positive impact for more businesses in the area.

“It’s crucial for companies to embrace innovation if they want to remain competitive in their market,” says Galloway.

“Innovation can take many shapes and forms. From the big eureka moments like Airbnb, to a smart technology like Amazon Alexa or something on the scale of Laggan Dam’s hydro power.

“However, some of the best innovations can come from small usability changes to existing products, new ways to deliver services to customers or improving internal processes.

“Whilst these changes may appear relatively small the overall impact they can have can be huge.”

Crùbag, an Oban-based textile company inspired by marine research and oceans, has been working with the agency’s innovation team since the company’s inception.

Its owner and founder, Jessica Giannotti, said: “It’s been a generous, very human, informative experience. An essential one too, as often businesses are left to fend for them themselves but partnering with HIE gives you that extra edge.

“For me innovation is something that should always be present in our business discussions. If we don’t solve problems we become stagnant.”

Galloway added: “We offer year-round opportunities for funding and hope that our initiative will get more businesses interested and eager to make positive changes.

“We know that time can be a key challenge for companies exploring innovation, with concerns about the effort involved proving worthwhile.

“Our HIE time to innovate #HIEtime campaign aims to address these concerns. International best practice indicates that all businesses can benefit from innovation support, regardless of their size, sector or location. Being innovative can ultimately make your business more profitable so it makes sense for companies to integrate this into their workings.”