In a recent article in Business Week, Michael Marks, chief executive officer of Flextronics, said: "All the intellectual property is now going into silicon". The suggestion was that engineering and product design will eventually become a commodity. Respect to Mr Marks, after all Felextronics are the world's largest manufacturing services provider with more than 90,000 employees worldwide manufacturing $14.5bn-worth of printers, cell phones, computers, networking gear and game players. But is he right? He also said: "What we can't do is develop new technology". Well, maybe North-East manufacturing SMEs can. Samsung, for example, is now giving designers far greater powers to influence not just how products look, but also what gets built. The company is using design as a strategic tool - to find out what's likely to sell before consumers even know they want it. Industrial designers are now giving concepts to engineers with the focus less on the traditional emphasis of using design to cut costs, but on driving up the value of the brand by coming up with unique products. Samsung has grown from just another producer of electronics and appliances into one of the world's leading brands, largely due to its focus on design. Design can be the difference between success or failure. It's without doubt the most important way to differentiate a product from its competition. Sometimes it's about non acceptance of the way things have been done before. The difference between evolution and revolution, an evolving product is simply something existing, made better. What if it doesn't exist yet? The start point immediately changes; the company with the brand-new, stand-out product is suddenly light years ahead of the competition. The most successful companies are employing design strategically, not only in the context of the product itself, but in terms of a "total service solution". Here the product forms a fundamental and inseparable part of the total service experience - ipod and Tom TomGo satellite navigation are recognised examples. If you're looking to exploit new technologies, revitalise existing mature products or diversify into more lucrative, less competitive markets and you're not Apple or TomTom, where do you go from here? The Product Innovation Programme, as part of the Regional Economic Strategy, has helped other North-East companies develop 17 products over the last three years with more than £2.1m private investment to date and increased turnover exceeding £3m. Stockton-on-Tees based CI manages the programme, making professional product design expertise easily accessible to all. No paper work or presentation, only an initial eligibility check and proposal assessment - a quick decision and you're on your way. As well as access to a world-class team of accredited design professionals with a track record of consistently delivering outstanding and inspirational solutions, you get up to 50pc funding as part of a tailored support package. From feasibility studies and patenting, through product design and prototyping to assembly and batch production, the initiative enables companies to experience the benefit of professional industrial and product design services for the first time whilst minimizing the cost and risk to the business. * For further information, contact Marshall Grant on 01642 602060. Alternatively, e-mail: m.grant@ c-i.uk.com or visit: www.c-i.uk.com | 
