Medilink EM News

Technical textiles specialist Capatex is predicting a 15 per cent boost in sales after an expansion into healthcare. The Nottingham company won a £14,000 innovation grant last year to research alternative markets for its manufacturing facilities.

As a result, the owners launched Capatex Medical, which looks to secure 17 jobs at its New Basford factory. The project was part-financed by the European Regional Development Fund and was helped by Medilink East Midlands. Founded in 1995, Capatex is well known in its sector for converting and supplying technical textiles for a wide range of markets.

Products are used in sectors such as agricultural and horticultural landscaping, where they can give protection to crops and plants against weather, birds and weeds. The firm is a second or third-tier supplier of webbing used by car manufacturers such as Jaguar Land Rover for securing items within a vehicle.

Its specialist textiles are used for hook-and -loop fasteners, webbings and bespoke assemblies and finished products across a range of industries. The owners recognised the potential for their expertise in other sectors and applied for an innovation grant to pay for research into new medical markets and the commercialisation of medical devices under the Capatex Medical name.

The grant was also used to establish a quality management system and CE marks for the new medical lines. As a direct result, Capatex Medical was launched, supplying medical devices and incontinence products to the NHS, distributors, retailers, care homes and by mail order direct to customers.

The company said innovation in product design was key to Capatex Medical's early success and it formed a close relationship with researchers at De Montfort University. Academic expertise is being used to develop new and improved products to expand the Capatex Medical range.

Capatex managing director Gabriel Strauss has overseen the development of the new medical division.  He said: "We are determined to keep manufacturing here in Nottingham and use the local supply chain, so the support from Medilink has been invaluable. "All our medical incontinence underwear range is made in the city using fabrics sourced locally. We now intend to expand the business by introducing new products and, with the continued guidance from Medilink, expect to be drawing on further local university research and innovation to do this."

Medilink business innovation adviser and textile expert Max Pulford has worked closely with Mr Strauss to ensure the project delivered the necessary results. He said: "It is very satisfying to help a traditional Nottingham textile manufacturer to diversify in this way, especially into a higher-value sector such as healthcare."

View the article on the Nottingham Post website by clicking here. 


L-R Gabriel Strauss, Managing Director of Capatex with Max Pulford, Innovation Advisor at Medilink East Midlands 

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Media Contact:

Louise Third, Integra Communications Ltd - email or telephone +44 (0)1159124350

Notes for Editors

Medilink East Midlands is the life science industry association for the East Midlands whose aim is to help healthcare and bioscience companies establish, develop and grow. Medilink’s highly knowledgeable team is a proven and trusted source of expert assistance and provides a range of specialist support services to its network of over 4000 contacts.
www.medilinkem.com

The Innovation Grant is part of an initiative, delivered by Medilink East Midlands and part-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), that helps people in the healthcare and bioscience sector in the East Midlands to develop new technologies, processes, products and services in order to build a healthy economy. Through this initiative Medilink brings together businesses, researchers and clinicians with a shared interest in a market or the technology that underpins it. 

About ERDF nationally:

The ERDF Programme aims to strengthen economic and social cohesion in the European Union by supporting regional economic development.

The ERDF objectives for England are:
 Promoting innovation and knowledge transfer
 Stimulating  enterprise and supporting successful business
 Ensuring sustainable development, production and consumption
 Building sustainable communities
 Improving accessibility and connectivity (for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly only – as part of their Convergence Programme).

A Programme Monitoring Committee monitors and oversees programme implementation in each region.