K2i News
The Knowledge to Innovate Programme is delivered through the strong partnership of WM Enterprise and C-Tech Innovation:
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Knowledge required to Validate the Carbon FootprintThe K2i project is seeking knowledge to support one of its registered companies. The company requires validation of field trials for its new environmental technology using a carbon footprinting process in which... Click to view more |
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Running Company's Profits Sprint Ahead With Help From Knowledge to InnovateHyde based Hilly Clothing, the manufacturer and supplier of running kit founded in 1992 by the legendary Dr Ron Hill MBE, has seen profits sprint ahead this year after enlisting the help of the Knowledge to Innovate... Click to view more |
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Your Essential Services Limited (Y.E.S.)An exciting new business venture is launched on April 17th 2008 providing an essential opportunity for smaller North West companies to compete with major national firms in today's competitive market. Your... Click to view more |
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Small business survey shows steady progress in the North WestThe most representative survey of the UK small business sector has revealed that nearly half of those questioned were producing new products and services, the highest level since the survey began in 2003. The... Click to view more |
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Realtime aim for the big time with help from Knowledge to InnovateLancashire firm are one of Britain's major CG animation companies Lancashire business RealtimeUK, which started out 11 years ago in a bedroom in Lytham, is currently one of the leading computer-generated (CG)... Click to view more |
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Parity Medical enjoy healthy profits with help from Knowledge to InnovateWirral based company Parity Medical are going from strength to strength with help from the Knowledge to Innovate (K2i) programme. The family run firm, based in Bromborough, are the UK's leading supplier of... Click to view more |
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North West firms can be the best with support from Knowledge to InnovateThe Knowledge to Innovate (K2i) Programme is looking for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) with the potential to grow and develop - and will help them in return only for their time. It will provide... Click to view more |
Business |
| Repossession of homes up by 12% The number of properties repossessed by mortgage lenders rose by 12% to 11,300 in the third quarter of the year.Click to view more |
| Honda Swindon closing for 50 days Honda is to cut production in Japan and Europe and close its Swindon plant in the UK in February and March next year.Click to view more |
| Darling 'to force banks to lend' Chancellor Alistair Darling is reportedly planning to force banks to lend to small firms in the pre-Budget report.Click to view more |
| Property sales rise in October Property sales rose by 8% in October, according to the latest figures from HM Revenue & Customs.Click to view more |
| Bankers give up on HBOS campaign The two leading bankers who had hoped to stop Lloyds TSB taking over HBOS abandon their plan for independence.Click to view more |
| BBC local video scheme rejected The BBC Trust rejects controversial plans to launch a £68m network of local news websites with video content.Click to view more |
| Eurozone business activity falls Business activity in the 15 countries sharing the euro falls in November to a ten-year low, the purchasing managers' index (PMI) shows.Click to view more |
| Gap profits higher than expected American clothes retailer Gap defies Wall Street forecasts and reports higher-than-expected third quarter net profits.Click to view more |
| Citigroup is 'considering sale' One of America's biggest banks may sell parts of its business or merge with a rival, according to newspaper reports.Click to view more |
| Pre-Christmas meat inspectors' strike may be good for turkeys A planned strike by meat hygiene inspectors will "seriously disrupt" the supply of turkey and other meat in the run up to Christmas, Unison warns.Click to view more |
| British teenagers remain optimistic about jobs in face of downturn Most young people are confident of finding a job despite the economic downturn, a survey finds.Click to view more |
| Pickle 'n' mix How did we fall out of love with Woolworths?Click to view more |
| Tread carefully Employers cannot just sack staff they disagree withClick to view more |
| Robert Peston Paradox of the world's biggest banks bailoutClick to view more |
| Aid request The CBI wants the chancellor to help small firmsClick to view more |
| Present worries Concerns over Christmas gifts' safetyClick to view more |
| Broke, not dim Some carmakers struggle while others growClick to view more |
| Banks 'must kick-start lending' Banks must start lending again or face being named and shamed, the Treasury Select Committee chairman says.Click to view more |
| Oil price up as Asian stocks rise Oil prices bounce back from a three-and-a-half year low, tracking Asian stocks higher, but are still below $50 a barrel.Click to view more |
| Fullers upbeat amid downturn Fuller, Smith & Turner says it is confident it will "cope well" even though the UK economic outlook did "not look good".Click to view more |
| Asbestos victims win 'test case' Asbestos-related cancer victims and their families have won an important test case over access to compensation.Click to view more |
| Toyota upbeat about latest model Japanese car maker Toyota defends bringing out a new model despite slashing its earnings forecast for 2008.Click to view more |
| Italian telecoms talks collapse Hutchison Whampoa subsidiary 3 Italia fails to reach a merger agreement with Telecom Italia because of price disagreements.Click to view more |
| RBS boss apologises over losses Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) chairman, Sir Tom McKillop, says he is "profoundly sorry" for the bank's financial difficulties.Click to view more |
| Japan keeps rates at 0.3% Japan's central bank keeps its key rate unchanged at 0.3% on Friday but warns of an uncertain outlook.Click to view more |
| Dell sees quarterly profits slip US computer maker Dell sees its quarterly profits fall as customers around the world buy fewer computers.Click to view more |
| No agreement for US car bail-out US carmakers are given a deadline to produce a viable recovery plan if they want a $25bn government bail-out.Click to view more |
| Singapore officially in recession Singapore downgrades its growth figure, which confirms it was Asia's first country in recession in the current crisis.Click to view more |
| Recession fears hit Wall Street Wall Street shares fall steeply for the second day in a row, amid investors' growing fears of a protracted economic downturn.Click to view more |
| Retail sales bring scant comfort Sales on the UK's High Streets fell by a lower-than-expected 0.1% in October, Office for National Statistics figures show.Click to view more |
| Rolls-Royce plans 2,000 job cuts Aircraft engine maker Rolls-Royce says it plans to cut between 1,500 and 2,000 jobs in 2009, including 140 in the UK.Click to view more |
| Santander snubs UK shareholders The giant Spanish bank Santander has excluded 1.8 million UK shareholders from taking part in a new share issue.Click to view more |
| Mothercare sees its profit double Baby goods retailer Mothercare says it is well-placed for Christmas as strong growth in its international and online business helps boost profits.Click to view more |
| Revenue in new offshore tax trawl Offshore tax dodgers will be facing a second round of investigations by HM Revenue & Customs next year.Click to view more |
| House sales rise as prices fall Property sales rose slightly in October, for the second month in a row, the National Association of Estate Agents says.Click to view more |
| October mortgage lending picks up Mortgage lending rose by nearly 7% between September and October, figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders show.Click to view more |
| Premium Bond prize fund is cut The number of Premium Bond prizes is being reduced following the recent cut in the Bank rate to 3%.Click to view more |
| Latvia to seek support from IMF Latvia becomes the second European Union country to seek the International Monetary Fund's help to stabilise its financial system.Click to view more |
| Russia pushes Ukraine on debt Russia demands Ukraine to repay a $2.4bn gas debt, raising fears of a renewed dispute which could disrupt supplies to Europe.Click to view more |
| IMF approves $2.1bn Iceland loan The International Monetary Fund approves a $2.1bn (£1.4bn) loan for Iceland, after its banking system collapsed in October.Click to view more |
| EU reaches deal on farm reforms EU ministers agree to reform farm policy by moving more subsidies away from production and liberalising the dairy market.Click to view more |
| Russian oil giant circles Repsol Spanish savings bank La Caixa may sell its 14% stake in Spanish-Argentine energy firm Repsol to Russia's Lukoil.Click to view more |
| Peugeot Citroen cuts 2,700 jobs French car company Peugeot Citroen announces plans to shed 2,700 jobs because of falling demand in Europe.Click to view more |
| Downturn hits newspaper profits The Daily Mail's publisher reports a 9% fall in full-year profit, while competitors announce a pay freeze and job cuts.Click to view more |
| Robert Peston's blog: Keep up-to-date with the latest business analysis For the latest business analysisClick to view more |
| Guidelines for financial journalists Click to view more |
UK Politics |
| Darling 'to force banks to lend' Chancellor Alistair Darling is reportedly planning to force banks to lend to small firms in the pre-Budget report.Click to view more |
| Welfare plan 'may cause poverty' Ministers should rethink plans to force lone parents, disabled people and long-term jobless to seek work, an adviser says.Click to view more |
| Government 'loses one PC a week' The Tories demand a Whitehall security review as it is revealed 53 computers disappeared in a year.Click to view more |
| Birmingham Labour MP in hospital Labour MP Khalid Mahmood is in hospital with kidney problems but is making a good recovery, his office says.Click to view more |
| Police probe BNP link to car fire An arson attack on a car in West Yorkshire may be linked to the publication of BNP members' addresses, police say.Click to view more |
| BBC local video scheme rejected The BBC Trust rejects controversial plans to launch a £68m network of local news websites with video content.Click to view more |
| Repossession of homes up by 12% The number of properties repossessed by mortgage lenders rose by 12% to 11,300 in the third quarter of the year.Click to view more |
| UK borrowing rise 'is necessary' The government says it is "right to increase borrowing" as figures show public debt rose by £1.4bn last month.Click to view more |
| Red tape 'hampers crime victims' Victims of violent crime entitled to compensation are being hampered by excessive bureaucracy, say MPs.Click to view more |
| Sack Strictly judges, demands cabinet minister Scottish Secretary Jim Murphy says the judges of BBC One's Strictly Come Dancing should go.Click to view more |
| Westminster Diary: The latest gossip from the corridors of power Weekly round-up of gossip from Westminster.Click to view more |
| Leaked BNP list What effect will publication have on the party?Click to view more |
| Crunch time The pressure is on Alistair Darling to deliver on MondayClick to view more |
| Commuter tale Meet the MP who travels 1,400 miles a weekClick to view more |
| Alien encounters How do MPs deal with "possessed" constituentsClick to view more |
| Hoodwinked How two criminals fooled the British judicial systemClick to view more |
| Nick Robinson If you thought the banking crisis was over, think againClick to view more |
| New data security checks for EDS Computer giant EDS's data security standards are to be checked independently each year, MPs are told.Click to view more |
| Clampdown on excessive speeders A raft of measures is suggested to target anti-social drivers, including those who speed excessively or use drugs.Click to view more |
| New system may not cut migration The new points-based system could lead to a rise in immigration if ministers wanted it to rise, minister Phil Woolas tells MPs.Click to view more |
| Harman laughs off coffee 'froth' Harriet Harman dismisses reports of cabinet colleague Liam Byrne's demands for cappuccinos and espressos at work as "froth".Click to view more |
| No ransom for pirates, UK insists The UK rules out paying ransoms to hostage-takers as two Britons remain on board an oil tanker seized by Somali pirates.Click to view more |
| Final plea on Earth observation Leading Earth observation scientists urge Gordon Brown to back Europe's environmental monitoring project, GMES.Click to view more |
| Holyrood rejects identity cards The Scottish Parliament votes against the UK Government's plans to introduce ID cards.Click to view more |
| BNP members 'targeted by threats' BNP members say they have received threatening phone calls and e-mails after their details were published on the internet.Click to view more |
| Clegg proposes 'government bank' The Lib Dems say the government has been 'supine' with banks and should consider lending directly to business and homeowners.Click to view more |
| MPs reject phone tap inquest bid MPs overturn a move by peers to allow phone tap evidence to be used "in exceptional circumstances" in inquests.Click to view more |
| The Full Story: PM's questions All the key points, analysis and views as Gordon Brown faces his weekly grillingClick to view more |
| UK net immigration up to 237,000 Net immigration to the UK increased by 46,000 in 2007 to 237,000, according to official statistics.Click to view more |
| Prostitute users face clampdown Paying for sex with prostitutes who are controlled by pimps or illegally trafficked to the UK is to be outlawed.Click to view more |
| Miliband holds meeting in Lebanon British Foreign Secretary David Miliband has met his Lebanese counterpart Fawzi Salloukh to discuss peace in the Middle East.Click to view more |
| Warning over rising jail numbers The prison population will reach almost 10,000 in 10 years' time if present trends continue, it is predicted.Click to view more |
| Brian Taylor's political blog Dummy puff/betsan blogClick to view more |
| Planning changes 'right balance' New rural building rules balance the needs of rural dwellers and protecting the countryside, the environment minister says.Click to view more |
| Mark Devenport's political blog Dummy puff/betsan blogClick to view more |
| Andrews rules out leadership bid Rhondda AM Leighton Andrews says he will not stand for the leadership of Welsh Labour once Rhodri Morgan stands down.Click to view more |
| Betsan Powys' political blog Dummy puff/betsan blogClick to view more |
| The Cabinet: Who's Who Here is a minister-by-minister guide to the members of Gordon Brown's Cabinet.Click to view more |
| Shadow Cabinet: Who's Who Here is a minister-by-minister guide to the members of Tory leader David Cameron's Cabinet.Click to view more |
| In full: Lib Dem front bench Here is a spokesman-by-spokesman guide to the members of Nick Clegg's front bench team.Click to view more |
| A-Z of Parliament Click to view more |
| Inside Europe Click to view more |
| Political websites Links to parties and other useful websites covering UK politics.Click to view more |
| Guide to Parliament What is Parliament for and how does it work?Click to view more |
| In depth: Party conferences Click to view more |
| In depth: The Blair Years Full coverage of The Blair YearsClick to view more |
Technology |
| IBM to build brain-like computers A collaboration in the US is aiming to create artificial brain circuits that mimic the structure and workings of neurons.Click to view more |
| Online time 'is good for teens' Teenagers' use of digital media shows that time online teaches children important skills, a new study shows.Click to view more |
| Google unveils customised search A tool unveiled by search giant Google will let users tailor search results much more closely to their needs.Click to view more |
| First test for interplanetary net Nasa has successfully tested a communications system designed to work in deep space modelled on the internetClick to view more |
| US warned of China 'cyber-spying' China has increased computer espionage attacks on US government and business interests, Congress is warned.Click to view more |
| Government 'loses one PC a week' The Tories demand a Whitehall security review as it is revealed 53 computers disappeared in a year.Click to view more |
| Dell sees quarterly profits slip US computer maker Dell sees its quarterly profits fall as customers around the world buy fewer computers.Click to view more |
| UK 'ahead in digital TV uptake' Digital television is spreading faster in Britain than in France, Canada, the US, Germany and Japan, according to research.Click to view more |
| Privacy forum sets online agenda A new US privacy group aims to influence the policies of the incoming Obama administration.Click to view more |
| Lost in space: Tool trouble for astronaut Spacewalking astronauts working on the International Space Station lose a tool bag in orbit.Click to view more |
| Get your up-to-date fix of blog posts about all things digital Click to view more |
| Divided nation Stopping the UK's digital divide becoming a chasmClick to view more |
| Valley Girls How knowing your genes could change your lifeClick to view more |
| Hearing aids A video tour around the RNID's gadget testing labClick to view more |
| Danger girls A look back at the real-life Tomb Raider heroinesClick to view more |
| Of digital dice How Dungeons and Dragons is breaking out onlineClick to view more |
| Goodbye tailback How navigation systems track and treat traffic jamsClick to view more |
| Web debut for Guns N' Roses album Guns N' Roses have launched their new album on MySpace, ahead of its release in shops.Click to view more |
| Cyber-bullying trial opens in US A US woman goes on trial accused of using a fake online personality to bully a 13-year-old girl who later killed herself.Click to view more |
| Microsoft to offer free security Microsoft has announced it will offer a free anti-virus and security software suite and will discontinue its OneCare service.Click to view more |
| European online library launches The British Library is among more than 1,000 cultural groups contributing to a European online library.Click to view more |
| Microsoft ends Yahoo deal talk Microsoft's boss tells the firm's annual general meeting that it is no longer looking to buy Yahoo.Click to view more |
| Technology sets sights on piracy Technology is proving to help some ship owners stay one step ahead of pirates.Click to view more |
| How do avatars have sex? Virtual affair leads to split. So how do avatars have sex?Click to view more |
| Winter warmers for gamers Top titles for consoles and PCsClick to view more |
| Wahlberg gives life to dark hero Mark Wahlberg talks about bringing Max Payne to lifeClick to view more |
| Pledge Watch: Laptops for all Laptops for all, said Brown in 1999. Did it ever happen?Click to view more |
| Biometrics to change security? How a person's unique features, from their iris to the way they walk, are being used by companies and individuals.Click to view more |
| No downturn for Silicon Valley Why the downturn is not making VCs wary of investingClick to view more |
| Game on for British developers Why the UK is a heavy hitter in the games marketClick to view more |
| Who is responsible in the cloud? Is the widespread reports of insecure networks worrying people too much asks Bill ThompsonClick to view more |
| Don't have security nightmares Is the widespread reports of insecure networks worrying people too much asks Bill ThompsonClick to view more |
| How politics will change the web Bill Thompson on the heady mix of politics and activismClick to view more |
| Between a rock and an interface Regular contributor Bill Thompson looks at what makes a good user interfaceClick to view more |
| The medium and the message Regular contributor Bill Thompson looks at what separates TV and the internet.Click to view more |
| Keep up with online networks How communities help Bill Thompson stay informedClick to view more |
| Are paper's days numbered? Bill Thompson says the writing is on the wall for paperClick to view more |
| How not to monitor mobiles Bill Thompson is worried that the methods we are using to keep kids safe on mobiles have stopped being useful.Click to view more |
| Code-cracking and computers Best known for its code-cracking work, Bletchley Park also played a role in the origins of the computer age.Click to view more |
| Accelerating the modern age A technology that helps the modern world keep running celebrates its 40th anniversary on 5 August.Click to view more |
| One tonne 'Baby' marks its birth The sixtieth anniversary of the birth of the first modern computer - known as Baby - is celebrated.Click to view more |
| The history of UK computing The UK's role in the early days of the computer revolution have been overlooked, say conservationists.Click to view more |
| Alarm raised on teenage hackers Computer security experts warn that many teenagers are falling into a life of petty cyber crime.Click to view more |
| Hackers ready superstore sweep Cyber thieves are hatching a plan to steal US funds through British supermarkets, the BBC learns.Click to view more |
| What makes a cyber criminal? Misha Glenny meets one of Brazil's many cyber criminals, to find out what makes them go online to steal.Click to view more |
| Thieves set up data supermarkets Cyber criminals are setting up web shops that sell stolen data for a knock-down price, say security experts.Click to view more |
| Q&A: Stay safe online ID fraud is a growing problem in the UK - here are some tips and tricks to help web users stay safe online.Click to view more |
