The Limassol Chamber of Commerce and Industry was present for the second consecutive year at the Innovate UK conference/exhibition, held in London on November 9 and 10. The Chamber’s mission was in line with initiatives undertaken in the field of research and innovation and aimed at the acquisition of new knowledge and further enhancing its international networking.
Innovate UK is widely recognized as one of the leading events of its kind worldwide and as an important venue for research and development. Through its participation, the Limassol Chamber aimed at pursuing cooperation possibilities with UK-based enterprises and organisations, in addition to promoting the Scientific and Technological Park that is to be launched in the near future at Pentakomo in the Limassol district.
The Chamber, represented by Senior Officer Nikolas Iordanou, attended several specialized presentations featuring outstanding speakers and concentrating, for the most part, on the promotion of entrepreneurship, the impact of innovation on the economy, the possibilities of synergies with British organizations, as well as financing opportunities for research and innovation projects in the framework of Horizon 2020. Presentations were made, amongst others, on:
“Thinking about the future: The work of Innovate UK”, Dr Ruth McKernan CBE, Chief Executive Innovate UK.
“The world of Innovation”, Dr Dave Richards, Innovation Strategist & Entrepreneurship, Microsoft.
“Innovation, Creativity & Cross Fertilization”, Nicola Mendelsohn, VP EMEA, Facebook.
“Business Innovation Leadership”, Bonnie Dean, Chief Executive, Bristol and Bath Science Park.
“Gaining Global Competitive Advantage Through UK R&D”, Professor Kenny Mitchell, Head of Research, Disney Research UK.
“Growth through Partnerships”, Ayelet Mavor, Deputy Director, UK-Israel Tech Hub.
“Sources of Capital in Europe”, Dr Bernd Reichert, Head of SMEs in Horizon 2020, European Agency for SMSs.
“Delivering Smart Cities: Connecting Cities with Innovators”, Daniel Palmer, Head of Market Development BSI.
Mr. Iordanou visited all the pavilions and met with representatives of enterprises, universities and research institutes. Discussions focused on matters pertaining to research and innovation, as well as on prospects for cooperation in EU-financed programmes or those that fall in the realm of Cyprus- or UK-supported schemes.
Contacts were made with British universities, including Cambridge, Edinburgh, Exeter, Strathclyde, Leeds, Manchester, Herriot, Cardiff, Swansea and Coventry, as well as with organisation such as NHS, TBAT, Invest Northern Ireland, Catapult, EUREKA, Knowledge Transfer Network KTN, Scottish Enterprise.
The Limassol Chamber expresses its gratitude to the British High Commission in Cyprus and to UK Trade & Investment for the invitation and hospitality and the opportunity accorded to us to attend Innovate UK 2015. We are very keen on further strengthening ties, the common goal being to increase the potential for cooperation between Cypriot and British enterprises.
Innovate UK 2015: https://www.events.ukti.gov.uk/innovate-uk-2015/
