Innovation is always risky. New technologies may not perform, or may take longer to develop than first anticipated. Does the uncertainty linked with the Brexit negotiations have any effect on the appetite of a business for innovation? Could companies be more likely to innovate when there is uncertainty? How will the translation of EU Regulations to UK Law affect the industries we are involved in?

The UK has a proud history of leading and supporting cutting-edge research and innovation within the EU. The government has set out proposals to capitalise on the UK’s strategic strengths to make sure we do more to commercialise the world leading ideas and discoveries made in Britain through its Green Paper, “Building our Industrial Strategy”.

“The objective of our modern industrial strategy is to improve living standards and economic growth by increasing productivity and driving growth across the whole country.”

This event will include speakers from organizations such as Innovate UK Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN), D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership and others.

There will also be lots of opportunity to network with other chemical science businesses.

A tour of the GSK Carbon Neutral Laboratory will also be available.

Agenda

16:00 – 16:30: Registration with Tea and Coffee

16:30 – 16:40: Welcome address and Overview

Sian Masson – University of Nottingham

16:40 – 17:10: Lee Vousden, Department for Business, energy and Industrial Strategy

Lee will discuss aspects of the Industrial Strategy with emphasis on Innovation and how the government is hoping to support Innovation in the future.

17:10 – 17:40: Lindsay Wetton, D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership

Lindsay will be giving a briefing on the Science Innovation Audit that has been done by SQW for the LEP (http://www.d2n2lep.org/write/Documents/Research%20Reports/D2N2_SIA.pdf)

17:40 – 18:10: Lewis Stringer, British Business Bank

Lewis is the Senior Relationship Manager for the Midlands Engine Investment Fund and works for the British Business Bank. The British Business Bank is the UK’s national economic development bank. Established in November 2014, its mission is to make finance markets for smaller businesses work more effectively, enabling those businesses to prosper, grow and build UK economic activity.

18:15: Tours, Buffet and Networking

Lee Vousden is part of the Infrastructure and Materials team focusing on the Agritech, Bioeconomy and Chemicals sector within the Department for Business, energy and Industrial Strategy.

Lindsay Wetton has worked for the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership for four years. She manages Innovation, Sector Development and Business Engagement for D2N2 and has strategic management responsibility for the business support and advice delivered by a range of partners through D2N2 Growth Hub (www.d2n2growthhub.co.uk.) Lindsay works closely and consults with businesses through the development of the LEP Science & Innovation Audit and Strategic Economic Plan working with our key sectors, many of which have culminated in multi million pound Programmes of support for businesses

Lewis Stringer works for the British Business Bank. The Bank’s remit is to design, deliver and efficiently manage UK-wide smaller business access to finance programmes for the UK government. The British Business Bank programmes are already supporting almost 3.4bn of finance to more than 59,000 smaller businesses, through over 100 finance partners. They are participating in a further £5.8bn of finance. The Midlands Engine Investment fund was recently launched by the Bank and will invest in Debt Finance, Small Business Loans, Proof-of-Concept and Equity Finance funds, ranging from £25,000 to £2m, specifically to help small and medium sized businesses in the East & South-East Midlands to secure the funding they need for growth and development.