Innovate Local West Yorkshire

Innovate UK is the UK’s national innovation agency. We support business-led innovation in all sectors, technologies and UK regions. We help businesses grow through the development and commercialisation of new products, processes, and services, supported by an outstanding innovation ecosystem that is agile, inclusive, and easy to navigate.

Through Innovate UK’s Innovate Local programme, we are collaborating with West Yorkshire Combined Authority and the West Yorkshire Innovation Network to put on a showcase event as part of the West Yorkshire Innovation Festival.

If you are running a business and wish to go one step further, join this event and open the door to limitless opportunities. Through Innovate UK’s Innovate Local programme, we collaborate with local stakeholders to create an event that aligns with regional innovation strengths and priorities while engaging local businesses that may not have access to the support we offer before. This year we are aligning with the strengths and priorities of West Yorkshire.

Key themes

The event programme is created by Innovate UK and delivered with Innovate KTN in partnership with Innovate UK EDGE, West Yorkshire Combined Authority, to focus on the region’s strengths and opportunities in Health Tech.

Why attend?

• To get the help you need to grow your business and to:
• Become more productive
• Develop a new idea and direction
• Access funding opportunities
• Access networks and find new partners

Details

Find out about Innovate UK’s Plan for Action

Find out about the local economic priorities and the growth opportunities for businesses developing new ideas across West Yorkshire

Hear from and meet with national and local support agencies. They can help you form collaborative partnerships, undertake Research and Development, access funding and finance, and develop skills and talent for your business

Hear from local businesses about their innovation journeys and network with potential partners and clients to fast track your new ideas and innovate

Agencies and practitioners from across the ecosystem will have the opportunity to network with each other and engage with businesses seeking support

What is Innovate Local?

The Innovate Local Programme is a suite of regional engagement events that promote Innovate UK and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) objectives. We work with local stakeholders to create an event that addresses regional innovation priorities and workshops to help businesses learn more about the grants and innovation process.

Our objective is to reach out to local businesses and demonstrate the types and levels of support available. In addition, to inspire them to look at innovation in their business through the presentation and panel sessions.

The Programme is now in its 6th year and KTN has been a trusted delivery partner throughout this time, organising and delivering the Innovate Local events.

Partners

The event programme is created by Innovate UK and delivered with Innovate UK KTN in partnership with Innovate UK EDGE and the West Yorkshire Innovation Network.

• 09:00 – Arrival and Registration
• 09:30 – Welcome and Introduction
  Bradford Council Leader Susan Hinchcliffe will welcome delegates and speakers to Bradford.  Then Indro Mukerjee, CEO of Innovate UK, will introduce and highlight key points from the Innovate UK Plan for Action alongside Mayor Tracy Brabin talking about the innovation priorities for West Yorkshire.
• 10:15 – Keynote: West Yorkshire – Strategic Innovation Opportunities
  Mark Roberts (LEP Chair), Mandy Ridyard (Chair of the West Yorkshire Innovation Network), Kamran Rashid (LEP Board and founder of Bradford Impact Hub) and Andrew Wright (Private Sector Vice chair of the Business Economy and Innovation Committee) will participate in a discussion facilitated by Cllr Shabir Pandor (Chair Business Economy and Innovation Committee) to explore innovation challenges and opportunities for West Yorkshire and how businesses can benefit from regional strengths.
• 11:00 – Break
• 11:30 – Experiencing the Journey: the challenges and rewards of innovation
  Hear from businesses who have delivered innovation projects with impact, the challenges they faced, how they overcame them, and the benefits they accrued.
• 12:30 – Panel Session
  A Q&A session with the businesses that presented their case study in the previous session.
• 13:00 – Lunch
• 14:00 – Parallel Workshops:
  KTN & Regional Innovation Support
  The West Yorkshire Innovation Network offer – Innovate UK Edge Innovation and Growth Service & The KTN.
  Space Innovation
  Why is the space sector important? And how can businesses access support
• 14:30 – Workshop: Impact of Innovation Support
  Hear from the Combined Authority’s Connecting Innovation programme, highlighting how its support is helping local businesses on their innovation journey to create impact.
• 15:00 – Parallel Workshops:
  Health Innovation – how to navigate the health and care landscape
  The health and care landscape: how your local partners can help you to navigate it
  Women Who Innovate Networks
  Connecting and hear from Innovative Women across West Yorkshire
• 15:30 – Break
• 15:45 – Parallel Workshops:
  Private Funding
  Understand the Investment Landscape, how to get into it, what is expected – hear from VC’s, Angels – British Business Bank – Women Backing Women Campaign.
  Innovate UK Edge Workshop
  Learn more about how the bespoke support from Innovate UK EDGE can help your innovative business grow and scale.
• 16:15 – Knowledge Transfer Partnerships and AKT’s
  Are you interested in working with academics to apply new innovation, or interested in a KTP or AKT for your business. Listen to the process and how a KTP could help your business.
• 16:45 – Innovate UK: Lending & Investor Partnerships
  The Finance Escalator – A look at the different finance requirements for businesses from early-stage finance, at start up through to growth finance for expansion. Types of finance and support from grants, debt finance, and government.
• 17:30 – Closing Remarks and Event Close

• Indro Mukerjee – CEO, Innovate UK
• Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe – Leader of Council & Corporate Portfolio, Labour Party for Windhill and Wrose ward
• Tracy Brabin – West Yorkshire Mayor
• Andrew Wright – Chair AW Hainsworth and deputy chair of the WYCA Business, Economy and Innovation Committee (BEIC)
• Cllr Shabir Pandor – Leader, Kirklees Council
• Mandy Ridyard – Finance Director Produmax, Chair of the Space cluster and LEP Board member
• Mark Roberts – Leeds City Region LEP Chair
• Kamran Rashid MA DipHE FRSA – CEO, Impact Hub Bradford CIC

Find out more about our featured speakers here.