A new look at the ups and downs of business has concluded that businesspeople can be categorised into five groups.

The materialists know best how to make money, and are skilled at making the best of any opportunity.

The developers, who make up the largest group, have moved to lead their company through progression, rather than a fixed plan things just happen without a huge focus.

Lifestylers start their own business to take control of their lives, and being their own boss means they manage their time, and their destiny. They are most likely to sink money into their own company.

The inheritors can be quite gloomy. They had their company handed on to them from the generation before and they are not necessarily happy about it. They are the least likely to go into business again.

And finally, there are the innovators. These have been praised as the dynamos of UK creativity and are the hardest working, and also the quickest to spot gaps in the market.

The new study, called the Sage Heartbeat Survey, concluded: "The interest in innovation is reflected in their commitment to research and development, and in staff training. They intend to increase this kind of investment more than any other profile."

All the signs are that Swindon is still a hotbed of innovation.

For example, the SETsquared course run at the University of Bath's campus in Marlowe Avenue has helped 17 hi-tech businesses get off the ground in just nine months.

SETsquared was established as a four-university joint effort, with Bath, Bristol, Southamp-ton and Surrey involved.

The idea is to give intensive help to the ideas coming out so far plans ranging from web conferencing to drug testing have all been under the microscope. It could well be the key that sees the next potential Bill Gates or James Dyson emerge.

SETsquared regional manager Karen Brooks said: "SETsquared is about helping early stage businesses, and providing an environment and resources that will accelerate them to a point where they can get their first customers and funding.

"With the economy generally there has been a downsizing by many big companies and so many people are looking at starting on their own as an option."

Simon Bond, from Bath University's Innovation Centre on the Oakfield campus, said: "There's a lot of integrated circuit talent around and it does seem to be naturally finding its way to the incubation centre.

"We've already got some working there and we are also working with the firms already established here to provide a network."

Mr Bond says Swindon is still one of the premier towns for economic innovation. He said: "The two big economic powerhouses of the south west are Swindon and Bristol.

"Bristol can be seen as old money and has traditional institutions such as banking. Swindon, while not exactly 'new' money, is vibrant.

"There are the traditional strengths such as great communication but the neighbourhood is strong there's RWE npower, Intel, Motorola, and Microsoft and Vodafone just down the road.

"We punch in the right place and that's what makes this innovation centre so attractive.

"We've got to make sure we don't fall into the trap of parochialism we can compete on the world markets."