September 30, 2003

New Product Development Forum Planned in Lewiston

A public forum on new product development designed to help small and rural Idaho companies become more successful at introducing new products to market will be held from 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 6, in the Student Union Building on the Lewis-Clark State College campus in Lewiston. The session will introduce companies in rural Idaho to the latest methods in new product development, computer integrated design, and rapid prototyping technologies. It is the effort of the New Product Development initiative, part of a new product development program funded by the Economic Development Administration with matching funds from Boise State University’s College of Engineering and College of Business and Economics, and TechHelp, Idaho’s manufacturing extension center based at the university. Product development consultant Steve Hatten from TechHelp said smaller companies frequently lack the new product expertise and the capital and resources that are needed for introducing new products. These Idaho companies have trouble competing with large domestic and foreign corporations. Hatten said the public meeting is part of an educational drive that will help remedy this situation by introducing companies to product development resources available in Idaho. “Participants will get to hear about a market readiness assessment tool that helps companies determine how well they are currently managing their new product processes as well as new design and rapid prototyping technologies,” Hatten said. “We will also be introducing a new approach that can guide companies through product development without taking unnecessary risks.” According to Hatten, the new approach helps respond to recent research which shows there is a widespread need among Idaho manufacturers for a more structured approach to product development. For more information, visit www.techhelp.org, call Hatten at 863- 4258 or e-mail him at shatten@boisestate.edu. -30- Contact                              Steve Hatten TechHelp product development specialist 208-863-4258 shatten@boisestate.edu Media Contact Sherry Squires Boise State communications and marketing 208-426-1563 ssquires@boisestate.edu