DSS received the tax relief earlier in 2023 for R&D work it had completed the previous year, and has now dedicated further time to research under the government scheme.

Continuing research efforts at the Hull signage and livery specialist include the manufacture of more sustainable outdoor and indoor signage, where through a trialling process DSS is attempting to find methods of print and framing that will withstand time, the elements, and relocation.

Several years ago, DSS also entered the world of 3D scanning.

First developed as a mode of modelling vehicles quickly, without having to mask up the vehicle by hand, the technology has now enabled DSS to effectively ‘proof’ vehicle wrapping work for clients.

Managing director Rob Daysley told Printweek: “We’ve now moved on, and we’re working on the VR element of it. 

“We can send a visual representation of a vehicle over on an iPhone to you, and through your camera you can [virtually] drop it right into your office and view it to scale, and you can walk around it.”

The R&D tax relief, which DSS won through agency Catax, has proved vital to the company’s ongoing efforts, Daysley said.

He added: “For me, R&D is not just for fixing a problem. 

“What you do is get over a hurdle, and then you create further opportunities for yourself.

“[The tax relief] has been really good, because it has given us the support to invest time into these projects.”

Companies not taking advantage of such schemes, he recommended, should think again.

“A lot of companies don’t look at it – but if you look at R&D in the right way, it’s extremely beneficial to the business,” he said.