Innovation will be the catalyst for our success

STANDING still means going backwards. Attributed to a successful German industrialist of the post-war period, I have long believed there’s an essential truth in this aphorism. Whether it’s building a business or running a country, restless innovation is the essential catalyst for success.

That applies to Cheltenham too. We can’t rely on our historic strengths in retail and festivals (important though they are) to outflank the competition.

We need to modernise and diversify if we want our town to flourish and generate opportunities for youngsters in the future. That’s why I developed the cyber vision, back in 2014, and it’s why I was delighted last week to visit a Cheltenham business that is at the cutting edge of technology and design.

Duku, sited in commercial premises behind the Regency façades of Lansdown Road, is a product design company developing eye-catching products for tomorrow’s world.

One in particular is the UK’S first accessible on-street electric car charger, which I saw being demonstrated. Developed specifically with elderly and disabled drivers in mind, it contains sophisticated design features including lighter cabling and mechanised spooling to assist those with limited strength or manoeuvrability.

Given Cheltenham’s proud tradition of supporting those with disabilities through National Star, St Vincent’s & St George’s and so on, it is particularly apt that we should be the home of such thoughtful design. It was encouraging too to learn that the prototype had been developed with hundreds of thousands of pounds of government funding from Innovate UK, the UK’S state-backed national innovation agency.

Innovate UK supports business-led innovation in all sectors, technologies and UK regions, with funding to help businesses grow through the development and commercialisation of new products. Thanks in part to this support, Duku’s work has been shortlisted in the FSB South-west region awards in the Business Product & Innovation category. It has a great chance of winning.

It was clear from the vibrant offices fizzing with ideas that Duku’s success will be Cheltenham’s success. And that will mean our town is moving forward. Alex Chalk MP for Cheltenham