Your visitor has landed. Now what? Planning international arrivals to Cambridge

Somewhere over the Atlantic right now, a visiting researcher is trying to work out how to get from Heathrow to Cambridge. They have a hotel name, a meeting at nine tomorrow morning, and a phone that may not connect as expected when they land.

Automation and optimisation: How POLATIS® optical circuit switching is enhancing network test laboratories

In today’s rapidly evolving business climate, the ability to automate test infrastructure and resources is essential.

After the funding round: how to build the foundations for sustainable growth

Securing investment is a significant milestone for any business.

For an early-stage life sciences company, it may mean moving from scientific validation towards commercialisation.

Does AI increase imposter syndrome?

I am often asked whether the use of AI increases imposter syndrome (also more accurately called imposter phenomenon) - that sense of not being good enough, feeling undeserving of success or that you don't belong. In truth, the short answer is "we don't know". But I suspect that it might...

The Race to the bottom: Why competing on price is a losing game

Some products live or die on one question: is it cheaper than the alternative?

When the answer is yes, you have a commodity, not a product.

The Invisible Curriculum: How Are Your Managers Really Learning to Manage?

Most organisations would never put someone into a specialist technical role and simply hope they worked out how to do it.

Yet we do something remarkably similar with management.

Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) and the role of Optical Circuit Switching in Secure Networking

In an increasingly interconnected world, data security has become paramount. Traditional encryption methods, while robust, face threats from ever-evolving quantum computing capabilities. This is where Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) comes into play.

The value of coaching after an autism, ADHD or AuDHD diagnosis

When you have lived your life for 20, 30, 40 years (or longer) and then receive an autism, ADHD or AuDHD diagnosis, it can feel as though everything suddenly starts to make sense.

Expanding Capabilities in MedTech Compliance

Over the past year, my consultancy journey in the medical device sector — supporting both SaMD and hardware innovators — has accelerated in ways I’m incredibly proud of.

Do I Need an Industrial Design Agency or a Product Design Agency for My Idea?

Industrial Design Agency or Product Design Agency: Which Does Your Idea Need?

Anyone researching how to turn a physical product idea into reality will have noticed that "industrial design" and "product design" are thrown around almost interchangeably, often by the same studio, o

What we learned from talking to businesses about Microsoft Copilot

Microsoft Copilot is one of the fastest-growing technologies in the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, but many organisations are still asking the same questions.

How does it actually help? Is it ready for everyday use? Where do you start?

What do investors actually want to see from a hardware startup before funding it?

It takes more than a good idea.

I have a product idea - what should I do next?

You've had the idea. Maybe it came to you in the shower, maybe it's been rattling around your head for years. You know there's something in it. But now what?

Beyond Day One: How to Build a Seamless Digital Onboarding Journey for Your New Hires

You’ve spent weeks interviewing, sifted through dozens of CVs, and finally found the perfect candidate for your growing team in Cambridge or Peterborough.

Do I need a prototype before contacting manufacturers?

Short answer: If your asking this question, you probably aren’t ready to be contacting manufacturers yet.

Where SHE does safety started: Meet the Founder

I’ve been asked quite a bit lately for my story, so here it is.I’m Laura — a Certified member of IOSH, an Associate member of the IFSM, and the founder of SHE does safety.

Protecting your staff and your organisation from fake recruitment scams

A fake recruiter message is one of the cleanest social engineering tricks around -because it doesn’t look like a trick. Here’s a few simple checks and rules to shut these scams down.

Design for manufacture: a founder’s guide to avoiding costly mistakes

You've got a product idea that makes sense. You've sketched it out, maybe had a prototype built, and people who've seen it are excited. So you start talking to manufacturers and that's when it gets complicated.

Beyond the CV: How psychometric tools turn hiring from guesswork into strategy

A bad hire in a 15-person scale-up costs more than money. It costs momentum. By the time the role-fit problem is obvious, the person has been onboarded, given accounts, trusted with clients—and unpicking that takes months.

A founder’s guide to prototyping — without wasting time or money

For first-time founders, product development rarely begins with clarity.

Top 10 Reasons to Host Your Next Conference in Cambridge

If you're searching for a conference venue in Cambridge, you're already onto something special.

Transform Your Compliance Process with One System

Are you managing multiple systems for different certifications like ISO 9001, ISO 13485, ISO 45001, and ISO 27001?

If so, you’re likely facing:

Achieving compliance and quality in medical devices for 2026

As we begin 2026, I would like to take a moment to reflect on the journey of CJ & L Consultancy Ltd over the past year and share my outlook for the year ahead.

Why most hardware startups fail (and how to avoid it)

Most hardware startups don’t fail because of a single big mistake.

They fail because a small number of critical questions were never fully answered, or were answered too late, when changing direction had already become costly.

When is the right time for a startup to hire a product design consultancy?

At some point, almost every founder developing a physical product runs into the same question.

Is it time to bring in experienced specialists, like a product design consultancy, to help bring the idea to life?