Founders

  Co-Founder:  Martin Rice, CEO, Erudine.

The UK Innovation Initiative has been kick-started by Harrogate-based Erudine, a small, innovative software business that is now secure and growing fast. Frustrated by the scope of current initiatives to bridge the chasm between innovators and business, it wants to help other small innovators avoid the unnecessary pain it has undergone.
The driving force is Martin Rice, CEO of Erudine (www.erudine.com): "We’ve been through the pain and are looking to help others find a way through," he says. "What we are trying to encourage is a mind-set adjustment on both sides. Corporates and Innovators need to understand the difficulties and challenges faced by each other in order to move forward and meet their own aims and objectives.”

  Co-Founder:  Dr John Riley

John Riley is the former Managing Editor of Computer Weekly Magazine where he focused on building strong relationships with the corporate IT user community. While there he set up the long standing CW500 Club for IT Directors which meets monthly. He also has a strong research background and is a member of two Parliamentary/industry IT groups and various IT groups.
"The current economic downturn is a major force for driving innovation, as companies can no longer continue as they always have done," he says. "The barriers to adopting innovation, especially the inflexible procurement and due diligence regimes have to come down if corporations are to survive. Innovators, too, have to up their game and get real about business. We relish the challenge of campaigning to get both groups to link up more effectively. The need for innovation transfer is urgent. It cannot wait.”