academic , graduate and local enterprise . Simon McMaster , founding Scientist and Chief Science Officer of Footfalls & Heartbeats , a high tech knitted textiles company founded in New Zealand and now housed in the IC , helped illustrate the benefits of collaborative environments like the IC . [ Read Simon ’ s story on p76-77 ]. Paul Bilan of Playchimp , Jonathan English of Skeleton , and Professor Neil Hopkinson of Xaar also presented tenant community success stories highlighting the benefits of working within Nottingham ’ s Science and Innovation Parks .
University Enterprise Zones ( UEZs )
Nottingham ’ s Innovation Park is one of only four University Enterprise Zones ( UEZs ) in the UK . Presentations from Liam Sutton , Director of Knowledge Exchange at the University of Bradford and Joe Spencer , Director and Academic Lead for Sensor City from the University of Liverpool , outlined lessons learned from two of the UEZ Pilot Programmes .
Local perspectives and national policies
Parallel sessions covered Innovation , Incubation and Acceleration from a local perspective from Chris Haley ( NESTA ), Graham Hewson ( Imperial White City Incubator ) and Paul Hughes ( Allia Future Business Centres ). National Policies and Local Delivery were covered by Jen Rae ( NESTA ), Brigid Feeny ( Business , Energy and Industrial Strategy , BEIS ).
GlaxoSmithKline Carbon Neutral Laboratory for Sustainable Chemistry
The Ingenuity Centre and business incubator
Nottingham University is the nearest Britain has to a truly global university
DAY TWO : Friday 27 January 2017
Councillor Nick McDonald , Portfolio holder for Business , Growth and Transport at Nottingham City Council opened the day ’ s proceedings by introducing the Midland ’ s Engine ( ME ). Covering 18 % of the UK population ( 11.5m ) and an economy of £ 222bn , the ME will see major infrastructural investments covering HS2 , City Centre renewal , and Enterprise Zone development .
Investing in innovation Lindsay Allen , Senior Programme Manager ( Business Engagement ), outlined plans for a more competitive economy for the D2N2 ( Derby , Derbyshire , Nottingham , Hottinghamshire ) Local Enterprise Partnership . Funds of £ 20.30m will support the Innovation Programme and fund managers are to be appointed for a £ 250m Investment Fund to develop four Nottingham Enterprise Zones and BioCity , a £ 30m life sciences project .
Colin Baldwin and Helen Roberts from the UK Space Agency also outlined investment and funding opportunities across the space sector [ see p44-47 ].
In Spring 2016 , the Innovation Park became one of six new sites offering business incubation to start-ups in partnership with the UK Space Agency . Mark Tock , presented this space incubation case study to illustrate progress and timelines .
Science and Innovation Audits
Parallel sessions covered lessons learned from three ME Science and Innovation Audits by Dr Pam Wadell ( Birmingham Science City ), Luke Delahunty ( SQW ), and Herve Morvan ( UoN ), alongside an outline of collaboration and investment from Nottinham ’ s BioCity , presented by Anthony Everett ( ADE Regeneration ), Robert Jones ( Adducere ) and Stephen Moore ( Wilmott Dixon ).
UKSPA events provide a useful opportunity to discuss common interests as well as to look at the wider picture for the science and innovation sector . The next opportunity to meet will be at our York Conference in May [ see p14-15 ]. ■
All conference presentations are available for download from the UKSPA website : ukspa . org . uk / node / 9612
Read online at : ukspa . org . uk / breakthrough spring 2017 | UKSPA breakthrough | 13