Targeting Innovation

McLaren Software is an indigenously-owned, Glasgow-headquartered, world-class software company with rapidly growing turnover (last year £7m) and 80 employees: 40 in their Glasgow HQ and the remainder in field offices in Houston and Düsseldorf. Turnover is projected to reach £10m by 2010. 

McLaren Software develops engineering-centric intellectual work management applications for the oil and gas, process manufacturing, utilities and life sciences. 

Products:
The award winning McLaren Software Enterprise Engineer (EE) Suite comprises of four primary modules:-

• Enterprise Engineer (for the management of engineering business process and supporting documentation associated with large capital projects)
• Enterprise Engineer for Assets (for the management and integrity of documentation associated with large operational assets including oil refineries, process manufacturing, water treatment and energy generation plants, airports hospitals etc.)
• Enterprise Engineer for Drawings ( a drawing management application that allows engineering professionals to manage the end-to-end engineering drawing process)
• Enterprise Engineer Transmittals ( a secure and auditable application for the transfer of documentation between organizations)

Historically, McLaren was founded as an IT services company specialising in engineering solutions based on Enterprise Content Management (ECM) technologies.  Recognizing the potential market for content applications as the growth of electronic documentation and the need to manage it within a business process McLaren transformed into a software company selling to enterprise class customers in North America, Europe and the Middle East.

McLaren is a key ISV partner and go to market partner in the engineering related industry sectors with leading IT companies including Autodesk, EMC, IBM and Microsoft providing enterprise platform support for Enterprise Engineer.

Aims & Objectives:
McLaren Software is the perfect expression and illustration of the importance of the Knowledge Economy to Scotland. It is a powerful company which will grow in importance to Glasgow's economy and reputation.

Since 2005, turnover has increased by more than £1m (a GDP effect of approximately £300k).

Our primary aim is to support the growth of an indigenously owned, high-value, knowledge economy business in Glasgow.

Nested goals include the creation of high-value jobs and support for a priority sector / cluster.

Outcome:
The work we have done to deliver the Spur grant and leverage the relative private sector investment powerfully supported the accelerated release of EE for Assets which in turn underpins McLaren's near-term growth ambition and will hopefully take the company to £10m revenues within the next three years.

We have developed a close and trusting relationship with McLaren. This has had spin-off benefits in other areas. For example:

McLaren senior management has participated in our "Search and Content" forum, providing advice and feedback to projects we are working with at Strathclyde and Glasgow universities. This includes providing me with advice on a market validation report I wrote for a University of Strathclyde spinout (which contributed to the project securing venture funding).

McLaren has participated in the Edge Programme in both 2006 and 2007, and this year the team working with McLaren won the top prize for "Best Consulting Report" (in no small part due to the high quality input and support provided to the team by Graham Hood and Karin Thorburn).

Extract from feedback email to Targeting Innovation from Senior Management:

"Our advisor at Targeting Innovation, Gordon, has played an integral part in creating networking opportunities and has identified grants and training courses which have benefited McLaren Software across the board.

Our participation in the Edge programme continues to add value and benefit for both students and McLaren Software."

In summary

Gordon has been proactive energetic and enthusiastic in their commitment to the continued development of McLaren Software.

Visit McLaren Software's website at:  http://www.mclarensoftware.com/