Projects

Projects 2024

Associates have successfully helped businesses solve a wide range of challenges, including marketing strategies, evaluation of services development and validation of new services and products, attracting investment, making investment decisions, creating capability, business change, entering new geographical markets, expanding from B2C to B2B and from B2B to B2C, launching, positioning and communicating new services and products, measuring impact of products and achieving strategic goals.

PLANNING FOR BETTER UK PUBLIC TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE

Onward is a leading think tank addressing topics such as levelling up, social fabric, and taking climate action while supporting the economy and jobs. As of 2024, Onward is working on a report to examine the challenges facing the development of public transport in the UK and identifying ways to accelerate it. This project will delve into various issues related to public transport infrastructure delivery and will produce key findings to be included in Onward’s report. The analysis will require several components: Data collection, Evaluation an d Literature reviews. This project aims to provide Onward with the evidence base to advocate for faster development of public transport.

MEASURING SUCCESS – LEADERSHIP DIVERSITY IN UTILITIES AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

Vzir Consulting is dedicated to helping companies address social, economic, and environmental challenges through innovative solutions. As expectations of companies’ roles have evolved, there is now a stronger emphasis on creating social value and addressing issues of equality and diversity. Gender equality is a business-critical issue, yet due to its sensitive nature, there remains a lack of clarity on what success truly entails. This project will highlight innovative activities in the sector that are making a positive impact, develop Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that go beyond the arbitrary percentages currently used in many companies and identify evidence of the business case for gender parity and pinpoint areas where further research and evidence are needed.

Past Projects

DEVELOPING A SLEEP AID FOR PEOPLE WITH PARKINSON’S

This project involves working with Cambridge Sleep Sciences, a leading sleep tech innovator, to determine how their SleepEngine^TM technology can assist people living with Parkinson’s to improve their sleep. The project requires development of a recruitment process, an internal trial to evaluate the impact on sleep and a usability study to understand the human factors that will influence the design of a user interface for people with Parkinson’s. As a result of the project, the client expects to release a Parkinson-specific version of their existing technology which meets the needs of users and delivers quality of life benefits to them.

EViD TOOL – SCALING FOR IMPACT AND PROFITABILITY

Fabrikator is a university spin-out company which has created the EViD tool. The EViD Tool is a visualised evaluation design methodology developed over three years of research collaboration. It guides project teams, their partners, and stakeholders in planning project evaluations through a step-by-step approach. Since the evaluation sector has yet to undergo a digital transformation process, EViD does not have direct competitors. The aim of this project is to determine the potential market size and demand for the EViD Tool in commercial sectors (e.g., SMEs, consultancy services) and the best investment and collaboration opportunities to ensure its automation through a custom subscription-based platform and scalability.

DEVELOPING A VIRAL TRANSMISSION RISK FOR INDOOR SPACES (VTR)

This project involves working with RGS Care, a company that uses Internet of Things (IoT) multi-sensor devices to understand how healthy spaces are and help carers understand the reasons for changes in behaviour and declines in health of care recipients. The project needs to consider all the factors that make up viral transmission risk in indoor spaces to create a formula that provides a Viral Transmission Risk (VTR) for a space 1-10. This will provide the client with an added value product in a VTR score that will enhance the attractivity of the overall product offering.

SMART PREGNANCY PILLOW

Over 5 million women enjoy sleeping on their stomach throughout pregnancy and can enjoy doing so with the multi-award-winning pregnancy pillow by Natal Comfort. With the basic aid to sleep comfortably on your stomach being met, Natal Comfort is ready to turn up the volume and turn their basic pregnancy pillow into the first AI powered pregnancy pillow that will not only augment women’s pregnancy journeys, but also relief everyday patient pressures currently faced by the NHS. This project will involve obtaining a deeper knowledge into the technological capabilities available to turn this vision into a reality, with the aim to submit this to Innovate UK as part of a grant application to fund the prototyping of our AI powered pregnancy pillow.

DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGY FOR TRAVEL RETAIL

This project involves working with Bitmore a company that conceptualises, design and manufacture quality products for travel retail market. As a result of the covid pandemic impact on the travel industry, the client is devising a Business to Customer (B2C) digital e-commerce strategy to sell their products online. The client is seeking to obtain powerful insights about their customers and users of their products, how to create meaningful interactions, feedback and involvement with their community of customers that they want to grow and interact with.

EXPLORING NEW MARKET ROUTES FOR SMART BUILDING TECHNOLOGY

The project involves working with RCDC and aims to explore how to grow the market for a new disruptive technology focused on intelligent and sustainable natural ventilation for smart buildings. Today, an unprecedented confluence of market trends and technological capabilities has created a unique opportunity for smart building technology to enable the development of smart cities. In this scenario, smart cities represent a key area of development within the construction and built environment sectors. Understanding how potential markets and customers might respond and interact with new smart building technologies as they develop, can provide companies with a strategic competitive advantage.

ESTABLISHING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A NEW PRODUCT TO REDUCE STRESS AND INCREASE WELLBEING

This project involves working with an SME who have developed Luma, an innovative new product for reducing stress and increasing wellbeing. The company will use the commercial sales of the new product to support children’s wellbeing and mental health in schools and colleges. The aim of the project is to establish the effectiveness of the product in reducing stress in a number of environments.

IDENTIFYING MARKET POTENTIAL FOR VR PRODUCT

This project involves working with Anomie, a start-up that aims to bring mental health care and well-being into the future with immersive technologies like virtual reality. The company was set up and has created a solution during the pandemic for therapy and coaching using immersive technology. The client is now seeking investment to develop this product. This project requires research to determine market sizes and customer segments to gain validity and confidence to raise investment and map business priorities.

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MARKETING STRATEGIES FOR EVENT TECHNOLOGY SOLUTION POST COVID-19

This project involves working with a start-up which provides technological services to event organisers in both the real world and virtual contexts. As COVID-19 restrictions continue to force business gatherings online and changes to future ways of working become more likely, the client needs to explore opportunities for growth.

OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE IN RETAIL FINANCIAL SERVICES

This project involves working with an SME, a data transformation company whose mission is to provide people with the opportunity to excel through data solutions and services. The client has an existing software platform that supports the management and reporting of operational tasks. The aim of this project is to identify how large-scale operational effectiveness can be improved following the effect of the pandemic in retail financial services.

EMPOWERING THE PATIENT-DOCTOR RELATIONSHIP USING DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY

This project involves working with an SME that helps people to help themselves through simple apps that can be customised to suit their needs. This project seeks to understand the perspectives of both patients and healthcare providers regarding the use of a new digital tool that aims to support self-management and timely intervention.

PROFIT WITH PURPOSE

This project involves working with a ‘sole trader with a social mission’ to help university researchers and academics find fulfilling careers outside of academia. The aim of this project is to assess the potential UK market for products and services that assist people to switch into more purposeful employment or self-employment. The goal is to identify the market, the drivers and barriers to change, and the commercial products and services that could help people combine purpose and profit in a sustainable way.

THE FEASIBILITY OF PIVOTING

The project has generated a wealth of insight to RecyGen to inform its expansion and investment decisions as well as providing a framework for future similar research it may wish to conduct. The information has provided a clear pathway for the future development of the recycling plant, should they choose to do so, and enabled RecyGen to make informed decisions about how and where to allocate its resources.
This project was delivered by Code-Switch Associate Research Consultants, a team of PhD and postdoctoral researchers with backgrounds in Politics; Banking and Finance; and Arts and Humanities, Heritage and Museums Studies from Queen’s University Belfast, Bangor and Ulster universities.

SWIFT

This project explored the needs of secondary schools in relation to the development of foreign language conversation skills. The main objective was to support the client to establish itself as a B2B.

PROJECT CRUNCH

This project was using quantitative and qualitative research methods to analyse current market understanding of the impact of building performance on human productivity. The findings are supporting the client to launch, position, and market a new product.

TABIA EUROPE

This project delivered initial market research to assess the viability of a business’ growth into two new geographical markets. The research has generated the evidence base to inform the client’s investment decisions.

A PRODUCT IMPACT FRAMEWORK

This project supported the client to develop a product impact framework. It is enabling the client to assess positive and negative impacts of the products it sells, make this information available to its customers and facilitate informed consumer choices.

CYBERCRIME PROBABILITY

This project developed a prototype Cyber Risk Assessment model to support the client to achieve its strategic goal of expanding into the B2C market.

INCLUSION, DIVERSITY & SOCIAL CHANGE IN THE MODERN WORKPLACE

The project outputs gave Direct Path all the information required to develop high-quality, best practice and impactful online training targeted at a specific client group to improve and expand its current training offer.

FITNESS WEARABLES AND THEIR IMPACT ON VIRTUAL TRAINING

This project investigated the impact of fitness wearables, such as watches and chest bands, on training performance and fitness in individuals and teams.

UNDERSTANDING NEET USERS TO PROVIDE BETTER SERVICES»]CAREER CONNECT

This project increased Career Connect’s understanding of the long-term NEET user group, its characteristics and the effectiveness of its interventions to facilitate key strategic decisions about the future development of Career Connect’s services.

THE ENVIROLUTION REVOLUTION

The project outputs enabled Envirolution to raise its profile and increase impact by demonstrating its environmental change-making capacity to key institutions in Manchester, project partners and festival participants.

UNDERSTANDING IMPACT

The project outputs delivered new capability to IPoW, facilitating the ongoing tracking and analysis of its impact and the achievement of its long-term goals to facilitate strategic decision-making and provide IPoW the assets to evidence impact, a key factor in securing funding and support.

EMPOWERING WOMEN IN FINANCE

The project outputs increased the client’s knowledge and capability to meet women’s financial services needs and, in this way, achieve a key strategic business objective.

THE ARTIST AS CHANGE MAKER; BRINGING HISTORY TO LIFE USING COLLECTIONS OR ARCHIVES

The project outputs increased knowledge and capability within Manchester Histories and facilitates ongoing learning amongst its collaborators to maximise the success, value and impact of future projects involving co-creation and historic collections.