Partner Article

How RTC North’s Market Research team is Enabling Inclusive, Sustainable Innovation across the North

In a climate where businesses must make bold decisions with confidence, high‑quality market insight isn’t just valuable - it’s essential. At RTC North, our Market Research team is helping companies across northern England and beyond unlock new markets, understand their customers, strengthen their supply chains, and scale globally.

Over recent months, we’ve supported an extraordinary range of innovators, from health tech and biotech to creative industries, digital therapeutics, advanced manufacturing, and AI. Here are just some of the projects our team has delivered.

Opening New Global Markets

• A manufacturer and distributor in the home and garden sector asked for international wholesaler contacts for garden hose attachments across the United States, Australia, Germany, and Spain. RTC mapped the full distributor landscape, helping them target partners with the right reach and retail alignment.
• A sustainable materials innovator developing next‑generation home‑compostable bioplastics received a national overview of UK‑wide plastic injection moulding manufacturers, including current and former RTC clients, enabling them to accelerate product development and pilot production.
• A provider in the rehabilitation and assistive technology sector needed a global overview of the living aids and assistive technology market, including regional market sizes, disability attitudes, and healthcare infrastructure across Europe, North America, the Middle East, and Asia‑Pacific, plus distributors in the US, Germany, and Scandinavia. RTC’s Market Research team equipped them with the intelligence required to plan international expansion.

Supporting Tech for Good and Digital Health Innovation

The Market Research team is increasingly partnering with mission‑driven health and wellbeing innovators: 

A safety‑tech organisation developing a domestic abuse support app requested internationalisation research. We analysed the domestic violence app landscape across Brazil, Ireland, and Canada, including prevalence, policing structures, procurement routes, and potential partners. After receiving the research, they commented: “Once again, thank you so much for this invaluable research. It truly feels like an early Christmas present…it puts us in a great mindset heading into 2026.”

A digital health start‑up developing a therapeutic app using biofeedback technology commissioned a competitor analysis of wearables that monitor stress, informing their product strategy and market positioning.

A community‑focused digital health organisation supporting people with chronic conditions sought an overview of UK digital health and MedTech regulatory requirements, along with contacts in occupational health, private health insurance, gyms, and weight‑management clinics. This research is now helping them build both clinical credibility and commercial pathways.

A biotechnology platform supporting global bio‑innovation received a list of synthetic biology microorganism developers, a competitor analysis, and an overview of the ELN and LIMS provider landscape, supporting both product development and partnership outreach.

Strengthening Growth for AI and Digital Platforms

With AI adoption accelerating, innovators are increasingly turning to RTC for market intelligence:

An AI‑driven workforce training provider specialising in sales and customer‑service development commissioned a full competitor analysis to refine their positioning in a fast‑moving market.

An emerging AI‑powered music education platform received a comprehensive overview of the UK music education landscape, helping it navigate a shifting sector and identify new commercial opportunities.

A Protech company offering automated property extension planning tools requested a curated list of UK housing and construction events to support their growth and partnership strategy.

An independent TV and media production company sought contacts for organisations offering TV and film production training. Their feedback: “That's amazing! It’ll help enormously!”

A regional AI company specialising in digital content and training tools received targeted introductions to marketing and online training production companies to support their business development.

Championing Inclusive Entrepreneurship and Social Impact

 Our work also supports founders and organisations with a strong social mission.

 A regional training provider focused on women’s leadership and development requested a list of Yorkshire female founders with strong CSR credentials, along with Yorkshire‑based female philanthropists. This piece of work RTC developed will help them expand their networks and impact across the region.

 The Value of Market Research

All of this work reflects RTC North’s commitment as a certified B Corp, using insight, innovation, and responsible business practices to deliver meaningful economic and social impact across the regions we serve. The work highlighted above reflects what our service is built to do, help organisations answer critical questions:

• How big is the market we want to move into?
• Who are our prospective customers?
• What does the competitive landscape look like?
• Where are the best routes to market?
• Who can we partner with, and what supply chains do we need?
   

RTC’s research draws on trusted paid‑for databases, global market reports, government statistics, industry bodies, and expert networks, giving clients the depth and accuracy required to make informed, confident decisions.

From exporting artisan food and analysing global lighting markets, to mapping the craft beer landscape, the RTC Research team is here to support businesses at every stage of their journey.

Need market insight to help your business grow?

Whether you’re entering a new market, developing an innovative product, or looking to reach higher‑value customers, we’d love to support your next steps. 

Get in touch: joy.branigan@rtcnorth.co.uk 

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by RTC North .