The aim of VISION is to develop the economy of the cross-border region by supporting small businesses and entrepreneurs to develop new products, and bring those products to market. The project assists companies and individuals to identify and assess the viability of new product ideas, create and test working models of their ideas, and adopt the appropriate business techniques needed to manufacture and market those products worldwide. 3D Visualisation is used to develop a virtual product for testing functionality and application. Design analysis will be implemented to ensure efficient and sustainable manufacturing of the product with physical prototyping to allow for final design evaluation. Appropriate micro-production faculties and business support will be made available through the project to bring the product to the marketplace, and establish a suitable turnover to identify regional manufacturing opportunities. VISION aims to spread good practice in design analysis amongst companies in the cross-border region and will be a catalyst for the establishment of relationships between regional SMEs to facilitate the development of clusters with regional influence on products and materials applications. Project Objectives • Support SMEs and entrepreneurs in the region to develop and bring to market a range of innovative new products. • Create technology transfer partnerships which will facilitate the sharing of expertise and technology between the two institutions and between the institutions and business. • Host seminars to foster a strong entrepreneurial environment within the regions product development community. A 3D visualisation network will assist in the creation of links between SMEs and entrepreneurs so that services on offer within the region will be highlighted and transferred within the network. • Businesses will be assisted directly by individually tailored link projects which will enhance their expertise to ensure their products are innovative and capable of being developed into a viable product. • Productiveness within the manufacturing process will be enhanced through the use of sustainability and design for manufacture analysis and process development to ensure competitiveness in the marketplace while sourcing and retaining production within the cross border regions through links with the partners.