UKSPA October Members' Meeting

Birmingham Science Park Aston 06/10/2011 - 07/10/2011

Birmingham Science Park Aston will host the next UKSPA event – Making Connections in the Digital Age – on Thursday 6th and Friday 7th October. The event will look at the broad theme of Making Connections – for science parks and other innovation environments, tenants and clients, and with other national and international stakeholders.

The Programme
The full Programme can be downloaded here and this includes information on all Workshops as well as the Plenary sessions and Networking opportunities.

Registration
Delegates can register by clicking on the link to the right. Please note that registration is done online on an external website.

UKSPA will confirm we have received your registration by email within a week of you registering.


Sessions Include
  • The British Innovation Gateway, which aims to increase the number of pioneering, high-tech SMEs in a sustainable and scalable way.
  • Cisco Connected Real Estate uses the power of the internet to bring huge financial and operational advantages not only to property providers but also to tenants.
  • Connecting with the Future – UK Broadband is the UK's largest holder of national radio spectrum suitable for 4G mobile services and fixed wireless solutions.
  • The Work Foundation – Charles Levy from the influential think tank The Work Foundation will talk of the recent report which concluded that only the knowledge economy 'can provide the jobs and balanced growth needed to secure the UK's future prosperity'.
  • Cogent Sector Skills Council – Cogent is the UK's industry skills body for chemicals, pharmaceuticals, nuclear, oil and gas, petroleum and polymer businesses, and we also have a key role in meeting the skills needs of emerging technologies.
  • Innovation Connections – CREAXTM establishes innovation partnerships with innovation driven companies and market leaders. This then becomes a service that parks can deliver within funded projects or as a commercial service to retain and attract new clients as is planned at BSPA.
See the Programme for the full list of Sessions.

Workshops/Parallel Sessions are:
  • The Connected Estate – David Hardman, CEO, Birmingham Science Park Aston
  • Biotech: Delivering the Future – Glenn Crocker, BioCity Nottingham
  • Telephony and Broadband: UKSPA ICT Good Practice Guides – Bob Cushing, Broadband Vantage and Jonathan Harris, Tamar Science Park
  • Labs without Walls – David Leon, David Leon Associates
  • International Mentoring – Birmingham Science Park Aston/Gothia Science Park, Sweden
  • Entrepreneurship of the Future: Young Entrepreneurs – Simon Jenner, Birmingham Science Park Aston
See the Workshop Summaries document for further information on the Workshops.

The Speakers
Among the Plenary Session Speakers are:
  • Charles Levy, The Work Foundation
  • Neil Crockett, British Innovation Gateway
  • Relina Bulchandani, Director IBSG Connected Real Estate, Cisco, New York
  • Josep Miquel Piqué, Chief Executive Officer, 22 Barcelona (TelePresentation)
  • Colin Winstone, UK Broadband and Paul Berriman, Global CTO, PCCW in Hong Kong
  • John Holton, Strategy Director, Engaging with Employers, Cogent Sector Skills Council
  • Vincent Theeten, CREAX and Hugo Russell, BSPA
  • David Hardman, CEO, Birmingham Science Park Aston
Hotel Information
The Conference Hotel is the Crown Plaza Birmingham and discounted room rates are available until Thursday 8th September and Standard Double Rooms with Breakfast are available for £90.00 (inclusive of VAT). The Hotel is in the Central Square, Holliday Street, Birmingham B1 1HH and is within walking distance of the Bank Restaurant – the location for the Thursday Night Dinner.

Please contact the Reservations Team directly on 0121 224 5018 Monday to Friday 9am-5:30pm to book rooms on the group code BSP.

Networking Dinner
The Birmingham Science Park Aston Meeting Dinner is at the Bank Restaurant, 4 Brindley Place, Birmingham at 7:30pm for 8:00pm on Thursday 6th October.

Travel Information
Directions and car parking information for Birmingham Science Park Aston can be downloaded here.

About Birmingham Science Park Aston
State-of-the-art technology is enabling BSPA to pioneer its 'Science Park Without Walls' concept – this will allow SMEs and start-ups to communicate with leading innovators, academics and investors from across the world as if they are sitting in the same room. The Science Park Without Walls initiative utilises the latest web-based communication tools to link Birmingham into a global virtual cluster to drive economic regeneration.

The 'Ideas and Communications Suite', as the first embodiment of the Science Park Without Walls, is now available. It features Cisco's Tandberg equipment, including two 65 inch screens to enable real time, highly interactive meetings to take place around the clock with up to four other different national or international centres at any one time. The Suite represents a hybridisation of the physical and virtual meeting 'place', bringing people with ideas, experience and funds to invest together to drive new knowledge based businesses.

The new technology will use the Park's advanced broadband facility, which has a connection and response time that equals the best on offer anywhere in the UK. The Science Park Without Walls initiative is a vital part of BSPA developing a flexible and highly connected and collaborative culture. It will establish BSPA as a location that offers the opportunity to access and provide resources to and beyond its geographic boundaries as it becomes a creative non – special place supporting innovation to benefit the region's economy.