Focus Travel Partnership has launched ‘Focus Innovations’ – a new division and hub for travel management technology products specialising in the latest innovations for the sector.

The division allows the partnership to retain a vital interest in the intellectual property rights of products developed in collaboration with preferred tech suppliers to meet the needs and demands of the Focus Travel Partnership TMC partners.

The partnership aims to use the hub to build on its already impressive history of technology investment, which has allowed the group to become the leading business travel consortium for the SME sector, by broadening its product range and becoming more inclusive in developing new products.

It will now look to use existing and new tools to strengthen its services to corporate clients and navigate ways to recovery.

In addition, it will smooth the way for all partners and their teams to complete digitalisation with both stand-alone applications to assist frontline teams and more strategic solutions. It will also help drive cost-effective and deliverable solutions across a multitude of platforms to corporate customers.

Focus Travel Partnership tech solutions include Farecast, a desktop tool enabling members to find the best airline fares the consortium has negotiated – undercuts leading trade and consumer competitors; FareFinder – an advanced best fare finder across GDS systems and most recently PinPoint, a duty of care tool providing details of COVID-19 and Brexit border restrictions and requirements; FCDO advisories and this month been has updated with traffic light system data.

Abby Penston, CEO of Focus Travel Partnership said: “Our partners are at various stages of digital transformation, and Focus Innovations is designed to progress companies at both entry and advanced levels. Our tech-forward Partners have always delivered a hands-on approach to the creation and maintenance of our tech portfolio and we believe Focus Innovations can become a more inclusive division able to tap into a wider range of expertise to develop new innovations our partners both want and need.”