Information Communication Technology

Leicester Shire Networks

Recognizing a wider need for economic collaboration and information sharing

The Leicester Shire Networks Pilot will provide the platform for a virtual community of sector and special interest groups who through the network will have the opportunity to collaborate and share technical and market formation and best practice, promote themselves and their members, get advice and support, and to discuss and debate issues and new ideas.

Organisation:

Completion Date: 10/05/2004

Location

Leicestershire

Project Description

"The LSEP's Leicester Shire Networks project will link business communities throughout the city and county. In particular companies in the food and drink tourism sector will be able to grow their business through supply chain collaboration, joint marketing and by linking in to other Leicester Shire networks. This is an exciting development for business."Kishor Tailor,Chief Executive LSEP

Through the networks, individuals and companies can not only build commercial and professional relationships within their own sector but because of the opportunity to interlink data and information across networks, they will be able to extend their influence and contact base beyond their own round of interest.

The Development of two Networks
To pilot the Leicestershire Networks concept, the project will develop two networks: one for the ICT community and the other for food and drink tourism. Depending on the needs of each network, the benefits will include:

Benefits

• Fast and easy access to useful information through information gateways, events and searches.
• Improved sector knowledge through directories and profiles, or by joining special interest groups.
• Marketing of companies and individuals through profiles, press releases, events listings and job sections both within the community and to the world at large.
• Access to help and advice by joining forums, asking questions, reading FAQs and case studies, and through adding peer mentors and experts who can help.
• Links to prospective investors and supply chain partners by identifying who they are and by providing the means submitting requests for partnership and business plan review.
• Web links, research summaries, news summaries and event registrations to save time and effort.
• Current awareness through personalised email newsletters and circulars for news events.

The LSEP will have ownership of the Leicester Shire networks platform and will ensure that individual networks pawned off the platform leverage the value of other networks on the platform in order to encourage synergy and cross-fertilisation of ideas and resources. The platform will be hosted and managed will b out-sourced. Partners have been identified for the two pilot networks, who will have responsibility for creating and then attracting describers to the networks.

Outcomes

Project Contacts

Project Manager
Michael Thompson
Tel: 0116 257 5697
Fax: 0116 255 8661
E-mail: michaelt@lsep.co.uk
Website: www.lsep.co.uk

LSEP contact:
Name Michael Thompson
E-mail: michaelt@lsep.co.uk
Website: www.lsep.co.uk