Imagine making a phone call by pressing numbers on a fabric panel sewn into a jacket. Or playing a tune on a keyboard woven into a tablecloth. Or turning on a torch just by squeezing it. Technology developed in Darlington is making all those things possible - and the man behind it will be among the people revealing the secrets of successful innovation at a special business event early next month.

The unique polymers developed by David Lussey act as insulators for electricity until pressure turns them into conductors. Now the idea Mr Lussey stumbled on by accident five years ago is at the heart of Peratech Ltd, a business doing deals all over the world.

On November 3 in Newcastle, Mr Lussey will be joined by other innovative business success stories at Transforming Businesses: North East, part of the Design Council’s Design in Business Week 2000 initiative.

Speakers from Spennymoor-based Black & Decker and Washington-based Berghaus Ltd will be discussing the innovation and design processes behind the multi-purpose, cordless Quattro VP2000 DIY tool and the Nitro rucksack. The Design Council has named both these and Peratech’s elasto-resistive polymers Millennium Products; for the way they represent the best use of design.

The BBC’s Judith Hann will chair the event being held at the International Centre for Life. There will also be contributions from Tyne Bridge MP David Clelland and John Bridge, chief executive of OneNorth East.

Design Council business director Harry Rich said: ‘All these companies are great examples of what businesses can do when they put effective design at the heart of their strategy and put ideas generation at the top of their agenda. We want to inspire all businesses to do the same, both by giving them first-hand examples of the kinds of gains good design can bring and encouraging a free flow of ideas and experiences.’

Mr Lussey came up with the idea behind Peratech while working on an electro-conductive adhesive for security tags.

He said: ‘I didn’t succeed in that but ended up with something which had exactly the opposite properties!’

Since then he has harnessed the idea to make touch technology possible in a massive range of uses from switching on lights to starting a car. As well as attracting international interest, Peratech has won the Saatchi & Saatchi Innovation in Communication Award.

Danny Bone, from Black & Decker, will be telling delegates at the event how the idea for the multi-capability Quattro progressed from an in-house innovation team and through the company’s systems to become the successful product it is today.

The third success story will come from Chris Lines, of Berghaus, maker of the Nitro rucksack, whose revolutionary design means it stays stable on the carrier’s back, so benefiting cyclists and runners in particular.

Transforming Businesses: North East runs from 10am to 12.30pm and includes lunch. If you want to attend, e-mail: dibw2000@designcouncil.org.uk or phone 01730 235022, quoting reference NE

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