The Creative Lounge event, which is organised by Lancaster University’s Creative Exchange project, could lead to seed funding to develop prototypes of cutting-edge products and services.

Creative Lounge is a free event held at Salford’s Media City between 10am and 4pm on July 4 and is open to SMEs from across the North West. It will be attended by leading academics from Lancaster University and other universities.

The workshop will explore how technology can be used to connect people and places, to create stories, and make tangible connections between the digital world and the real world, as well as identifying some of the key business opportunities in the digital age.

Professor Rachel Cooper OBE, Director of Imagination Lancaster, a design research laboratory at Lancaster University, said: “The Creative Exchange programme is a unique way of unlocking the potential of collaborative design. We are bringing together pioneering companies and the best academic thinkers to explore the potential of new digital spaces.

"This workshop is a brilliant opportunity for creative companies to profit from the knowledge and experience of design research professionals.”

The Creative Exchange team are looking for small, medium and micro businesses, agencies and not-for-profits from the creative sector that want to share and discover exciting, novel ideas, and collaborate to create compelling new experiences, products and services.

More information is available by visiting http://thecreativeexchange.org/creative-lounge

Limited places are available. Businesses should contact Pam Allen by emailing p.allen1@lancaster.ac.uk to register their interest.