COSATTO has signed a formal partnership with the University of Sussex BabyLab, to support the design and creation of new products with scientifically-tested baby benefits.

Renowned for their bold, bright contemporary designs, the Bolton-based company has identified strong consumer interest in prams, travel systems and strollers that stimulate thought and cognitive processes in new-born babies.

The University of Sussex’s BabyLab is a world-leader in infant cognitive psychology, especially in the field of vision and learning through sight.

The collaboration will underpin Cosatto’s new communications platform ‘Clever Stuff, Happy Baby’ and will see the brand draw upon the expertise of a team of scientific advisors to inform the design process and share new insights on the subject of baby science in consumer media.

Cosatto, based in Bentinck Mill, Bentinck Street, Farnworth, is a leading manufacturer of baby products, including prams, pushchairs, highchairs and car seats and has an annual turnover of £13 million.

It has used baby science to inform its design approach for the last four years, and now believes that, with the knowledge of the experts at the University of Sussex, it can take its products to the next level with proven and tested baby benefits.

Andrew Kluge, CEO said: “Cosatto is famous for colour and contemporary designs. What a lot of people don’t realise is that, beyond the styles and fashions of the day, there are sound scientific grounds underpinning our design philosophy.

"We believe that a stimulated baby quickly learns the skills to engage with the outside world.

"Customers often send us feedback about their babies interacting with our patterns and, following a major strategic review this year, we want to further sharpen our focus on baby science to give mums a key reason why Cosatto is better for your baby.”

The University of Sussex is the Cosatto official science partner and will allow the brand to tap into the world of baby psychology through their team of leading academics and scientists to investigate how babies see, think and learn.

On this industry-first partnership, lab head, Professor Anna Franklin, said: “Mums would be surprised by how thoughtful babies are, even from day one.

"They are processing and learning far quicker than adults do, and from a very young age have visual preferences, likes and dislikes, favourite shapes and colours.

"Clever design can grab their interest, stimulate thinking, and even soothe or comfort them.

"We are collaborating with Cosatto because their products offer a great platform for converting our scientific expertise into real-world benefits for mums and babies.”