Name: IN-PART
Based: Sheffield
Website: in-part.com
September 2014 marked the ninth month since our launch. The IN-PART platform, an online space enabling universities and industries to collaborate in the development of new technologies, was running smoothly. Our micro-business was expanding, but with only two co-founders behind the reigns the workflow quickly reached saturation point.
It got to the stage where we couldn’t do everything on our own, so we decided to get someone else on board. Reaching out to the local melting pot of talent at the University of Sheffield proved fruitful.
We advertised an opportunity for two six-week paid communications internships, with the potential for a single permanent role at the end.
New efficiency procedures emerged from the internship; we now use Slack to centralise tasks and projects, and Google Hangouts to bridge the north/south divide between headquarters. Our social media outreach expanded, with our Twitter following more than doubling in four months – which lead to increased traffic on our platform.
As well as being a source of fresh ideas, our technology communications officer (now full time) manages the organisation and creation of content for our platform and media channels. We now have a greater capability to engage with R&D professionals and university tech transfer officers.
Enough so that we’re launching our sector’s first publication, and beginning our global expansion into East Asia and the US, all made possible by the initiation of an internship.
Patrick Speedie is the co-founder and director of IN-PART.
