UKSPA Spring Conference: Thurs 14th & Fri 15th March, Babraham Research Campus

UKSPA members and stakeholders will gather on Thursday 14th and Friday 15th March, for the UKSPA Spring Conference 2024. The Conference will be hosted by Babraham Research Campus, with the plenary sessions taking place at the dedicated modern conferencing facilities in the Cambridge Building. There will also be opportunities to tour the campus facilities, including the Live Labs and the Flow Cytometry Facility.

Following-on from the hugely successful UKSPA Autumn Conference at Coventry University Technology Park in November, the two days will consider and debate current national and regional trends.

The Conference will start at lunchtime on Thursday and conclude on Friday afternoon. Throughout the two days, leading speakers from the UKSPA network and key partners and stakeholders will discuss in depth the challenges, opportunities, and innovative ways the sector continues to further engage, inspire, and grow.

About Our Hosts

The Babraham Research Campus is a leading location which supports early-stage bioscience enterprises and is distinct in its co-location of bioscience companies with the world-leading discovery research of the Babraham Institute. The Campus is a dynamic environment within 430 acres of parkland, home to over 60 companies, 2,000 employees and 300 academic researchers. It is where discovery research and business come together with a shared scientific focus that accelerates innovation and strengthens links between academia and the commercial world.

The vision is for the Babraham Research Campus to be one of the best places in the world for discovery bioscience research and innovation and a leading sustainable ecosystem to start, nurture, scale and grow bioscience business, capturing new opportunities. Their mission is to deliver a growing and vibrant Campus. A Campus that enables world-leading bioscience research and business to come together in a unique combination, with a focus that accelerates scientific discovery and helps to build and scale businesses. Delivering a highly connected, sustainable and dynamic ecosystem, that creates new discoveries, therapeutics, jobs and growth to support the UK economy.

Conference Programme

The outline Conference Programme is available to download here.

Directions By Car and Train 

A detailed map of Babraham Research Campus can be downloaded here.

Travelling by Car: Please note if you are driving you must come through the main gate on the A1307 and not through the old entrance via Babraham Village, which satellite navigation systems often give directions to.

Venue Address: The Cambridge Building, Babraham Research Campus, Babraham, Cambridge, CB22 3AT

Travelling by Train: We recommend arriving at Cambridge Station, which is approx. 9km north of the Research Campus. Whittlesford Parkway is closer, approx. 7km west of the Campus, but has fewer services and no guaranteed taxi availability.

Taxis: Taxi services are available from Cambridge Station (Mastercab 01223 566654, Panther 01223 715715) but note this service cannot be guaranteed from Whittlesford Parkway, so please check first.

Drinks Reception

A networking drinks reception will be held on Thursday 14th March, immediately following the conference sessions.  This will take place in the Bar of the Cambridge Building, at Babraham Research Campus

Coaches to/from Cambridge

Coach travel will be provided from the Conference venue to the conference hotel and dinner venue in Cambridge City Centre on the evening of Thursday 14th March, following the drinks reception.  Return coach travel will be provided from Cambridge to the Conference Venue on the morning of Friday 15th March, to arrive in time for registration.  Delegates are encouraged to leave their cars at Babraham Research Campus overnight.

Networking Dinner

There will be a networking dinner on Thursday 14th March, held at Graduate Cambridge, Granta Place, Mill Ln, Cambridge CB2 1RT.

Hotels

Graduate Cambridge is the venue for the Networking Dinner. We are now advised that the number of available rooms is now limited. Bookings are on a first-come, first-served basis.

Alternatively, there is a wide range of hotels located close to Cambridge City Centre.

Sponsorship and Exhibition

All sponsorship and exhibition opportunities have now been reserved and allocated.

Delegate Booking

All UKSPA Members are entitled to up to two free places at the Conference. There will be a limited number of non-member places (or for the booking of additional delegate places for Members) with delegate fees shown on the Eventbrite registration page, when available.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION AND TO BOOK