Member Event: #InnovateEast – learn how funding, finance and collaboration can help your business to innovate and grow

UEA is excited to be sponsoring the Innovate UK in the East of England Conference #InnovateEast

Learn how funding, finance and collaboration can help your business to innovate and grow.

09.00 – 9.50 Join New Anglia LEP and the Norwich Research Park over breakfast before the main Conference to hear about their current plans for innovation and growth in the region and on the Park. A chance for businesses, innovators and entrepreneurs to hear what the region has to offer and identify opportunities for funding, growth and collaboration.

09.15 – 10.00 Arrival and networking for main event

10.00 – 11.20 Prof David Richardson, Vice Chancellor, UEA will formally open the event, followed by Ian Meikle, Director – Clean Growth and Infrastructure at Innovate UK, to explain how Innovate UK helps UK businesses innovate today and share the latest news on new funding programmes.

Ian Foley at Equipmake will explain how working with Innovate UK has helped the business to innovate and grow.

We’ll explain how all the parts of the Innovate UK “family” can help you do the same: the Enterprise Europe Network, Knowledge Transfer Network and Catapult Centres, working with New Anglia Growth Hub and the Defence and Security Accelerator.

11.40 – 13.00 Beyond Grant Funding – how to finance your innovation

Jeremy Elden, angel investor with Anglia Capital Group, will share his perspectives on what investors are seeking in early-stage business and how you can increase your prospects of securing investment.

You’ll also learn more about Innovation loans and the Investment Accelerator, from Nigel Walker, Innovate UK; R&D Tax reliefs, from Annie Hunter, GovGrant and the Low Carbon Innovation Fund and Invest East from Saffron Myhill-Hunt.

Penny Lord at St John’s Innovation Centre and Emma Fadlon at the Knowledge Transfer Network will share further insights into how and when you should plan to secure investment.

13.00 – 14.00 Lunch, networking and an Introduction to Norwich Research Park, an open session where you can learn about the talent and resources available on the Park.

14.00 – 15.00 Working with Universities and the “knowledge base” to accelerate your innovation

Learn how you can collaborate with experts at universities to use their knowledge and facilities to overcome your research and innovation challenges, with Prof Laura Bowater, Academic Director for Innovation, UEA.

Jan Stringer at the KTN will explain how Knowledge Transfer Partnerships and other programmes support these activities.

Businesses including Peter Brady at Orbital Media and Greenworld Sales will discuss their experiences of working with universities to accelerate their innovation.

15.10 – 16.00 Get the know-how you need to accelerate your innovation in our workshops:

1 – Intellectual Property: How to identify, protect and exploit your IP With the Business and IP Centre and Enterprise Europe Network

2 – The Assessor’s Prayer: Writing successful grant applications

With Knowledge Transfer Network and Enterprise Europe Network

3 – Go Global! Beating the World with your unfair advantage!

With Department for International Trade and Enterprise Europe Network

4 – Creating a winning pitch for investment

With Enterprise Europe Network and St. John’s Innovation Centre