Innovation Friday - New Year, New Ideas, New Innovation

Develop new partnerships and innovative ideas over cake and coffee Join us at our Innovation Friday networking event at the Leicester Innovation Hub. This month the overarching theme is Sustainable Future. We will be discussing and showcasing how Academia-Business collaboration in environmental management is leading to economic growth. A special focus will be given to Space Park Leicester and the opportunities this transformative facility will create for local enterprises in non-space sectors. During a special session run in association with MSDUK, a number of companies will deliver their business pitch to a panel of judges to win a company focused free activity with the experts of the University of Leicester: a choice among Design Thinking Sprint, Data Analytics Review or Sustainability Audit will be delivered within the business with company’s senior management and their key stakeholders. A special stage will be given to MSDUK Innovation Challenge to discuss opportunities for BAME businesses, and to the winners of the first Copernicus Hackathon in UK to demonstrate business opportunities enabled by open data policies. We very much hope that you will be able to join us as our guest for this and future events designed to highlight innovations from across the region. You are welcome to drop in anytime between 10am and 4pm and Network with: Innovation Hub Team Regional businesses & industries Innovation support organisations Enterprising academics Student & graduate start-ups University Business Support Team Agenda 10:00 am – Event opens 10:45 am – Keynote: Developing solutions to tackle environmental pollution through Business-Academia collaborations (Mick Whelan) 11:30 am – Pitch competition (in association with MSDUK) 12:30 pm – Samosas are served along cake. Networking while waiting for judging panel to award pitch competition winner. 1:00 pm – Judging panel awards pitch competition prize 1:30 pm – MSDUK Innovation Challenge and opportunities for BAME start-ups (Ervin Picari) 2:15 pm – Innovations for a sustainable and productive agriculture. Pitches from the Copernicus Hackathon winners. 3:00 pm – Keynote: Growth opportunities for local businesses enabled by Space Park Leicester (Carmine Maffei and Kavitha Muthu). 4.00 pm – Event closes (Agenda is subject to change. Please contact us or come back to this page closer to the event if you need to confirm a specific schedule.) To take part to the Pitch Competition, please send an email to LeicInnovation@le.ac.uk Free Cake Fridays provide an excellent opportunity to network with the Innovation Hub Team, innovative regional businesses, enterprising academics and innovation support organisations in a friendly and informal environment. Within the warmth of this special networking event, you will have a chance to build strategic partnerships, meet your peers, and discover funded innovation support opportunities.