Business Link is leading a drive to help businesses in County Durham be more inventive by appointing RICHARD HALL as innovation specialist, providing an innovation and technology advisory service that will encourage businesses of all sizes and types to exploit new ideas and new ways of operating.

Mr Hall, 46, from Durham, has experience in engineering, manufacturing and innovation support.

The service will provide access for businesses, encouraging and helping them to use innovation, technology, design and management best practice in their products, services and manufacturing and business processes.

Mr Hall is already looking at more than 30 projects from companies in County Durham involved in a variety of sectors, ranging from lone inventors and start-ups to relatively large companies.