Geodesics in need of the right business model - August 2009

Enterprise & Innovation

East Midlands Business Champions helps a geodesic dream become reality.

An East Midlands Business Champion has been instrumental in developing a highly fascinating businessman’s vision, resulting in building three separate and potentially highly successful businesses. Tim Polkinghorne, a professional business and life coach, worked with Amila Y’Mech of Geodesics Unlimited harnessing the unusual beauty of geodesic structures to create commercial opportunities.

Geodesic structures use geometric elements to work together to create domes and spheres, such as the Eden project buildings in Cornwall or Spaceship Earth at the EPCOT Centre.

UK born Amila Y’Mech has packed an enormous amount into his life: as an accomplished musician, author of two books, teacher of Tai-chi and part-time articulated lorry driver. He also owns a fazenda (farm) in Brazil, spending a couple of months a year there. He became fascinated by geodesic structures in the early 1970’s and started developing ideas for their use during the 1980’s. It wasn’t until 1998, when Amila undertook post-graduate research at the Space Structures Research Centre at Surrey University that he gained the mathematical and engineering knowledge to be able to develop the business he had dreamed of. Since 1999, Amila has been designing bespoke geodesic structures under the brand name Geodesics Unlimited, but has struggled to develop and expand the business into more mass-market areas.

He sought the help of Business Champions - a programme created and funded by the East Midlands Development Agency (emda) which recruits high-calibre proactive business figures. Working with voluntary and educational organisations, Business Champions support projects where a commercial perspective is needed.

Tim Polkinghorne, principal of Nirvana, has a mechanical engineering background, having worked for companies such as ABB, Yorkshire Water and ICL. He was immediately drawn to the engineering challenge presented by Geodesics Unlimited. Following initial discussions, it became clear to Tim that the Amila’s immediate problem was making his business comprehensible to potential customers, suppliers and investors.

Tim says: ‘Amila was becoming increasingly frustrated. He would meet potential partners and, while they were interested in what he was saying, they weren’t able to see the commercial opportunities.’

Tim encouraged him to take a step back and examine what he was offering more analytically, and between them they identified three distinct business models: Educational Design, providing ‘kits’ to help young people understand the complex geometry of geodesic structures, important in mathematics, physics and chemistry; Geodesic Garden Houses, manufacturing a range of beautiful garden structures using geodesic geometries as a base, and Space Matrix, a space frame component, consultancy and project management business providing manufacture, design and support for the construction of large geodesic structures.

By creating this clear division, Tim has allowed Amila to be clear about what he is offering and identify routes to market, so that he can engage and excite new business stakeholders. Already, Space Matrix has found a metal casting and drop forging partner to prototype a space frame grid using its new and patented jointing system; a Peak Park Leader grant is being considered as an appropriate path for the ‘kits’, and prototypes of the garden structures are in progress part-funded via the Business Link Business Transformation Scheme.

Tim says that he and Amila have built a strong relationship over the last 12 months, with meetings every week or two in the early days, now a little less frequent as Amila’s needs have changed. Without Tim’s involvement, Amila Y’Mech’s frustration is likely to have continued as he sought partners for his vision. As Amila says: ‘I have always loved the beauty and elegance of the engineered structure. Without East Midlands Business Champions, it would have been very difficult for me to find a mentor who would both share that vision and be able to help me to take the business forward. Tim is the perfect coach for me. We share an ideal: that "success" in business is worthless unless it mirrors and is a reflection of a satisfying and successful personal life, and vice versa.’