UKSPA Winter Conference 2022

Members and stakeholders gathered for the UKSPA Winter Conference 2022 at No.1 Circle Square, Manchester on Thursday 1st & Friday 2nd December 2022. Following on from the last UKSPA Conference at Charnwood Campus in September, leading speakers from the UKSPA network and key stakeholders discussed in depth the challenges and opportunities for the science and innovation sector as we head into 2023.

Key topics discussed over the two days included:

• The Global Energy Crisis: UKSPA members discussed possible measures to mitigate energy costs
• Innovation Districts: Driving inclusive urban growth 
• Economic Growth: The case for devolution of innovation and skills to raise regional productivity & UK growth 
• Sustainable Life Sciences: Creating and delivering research facilities
• Cyber Resilience: The challenge for the science and innovation sector
• Innovation Support and Growth: City Perspectives

Conference Programme 

The final Conference Programme is available for download HERE.

Presentations 

Presentations can be downloaded using the appropriate links below:

Plenary 1: Local Innovation Ecosystem: Manchester Partnerships

• Bradley Topps, Commercial Director, Bruntwood SciTech. Collaboration and Co-innovation. Attracting the World’s Most Disruptive and Innovative Science and Tech Businesses to Manchester 
• Sophie Walton, Director of Strategic Partnerships, CPI.  The Impact of Technology Innovation Centres in Regions: The Opportunity to Accelerate Greater Manchester’s Economy 
• Lou Cordwell, Chair, Greater Manchester Local Enterprise Partnership.  Innovation Greater Manchester: A New Approach to Delivering Inclusive Growth Through Innovation 

Plenary 2: City-led Innovation: The Challenges & Visions for Innovation-led Economic Growth

• Colin Sinclair, CEO, Sciontec Developments Ltd and Knowledge Quarter Liverpool. Innovation Districts: The Importance of Innovation Districts to Levelling Up and Inclusive Growth 
• Alisdair Gunn, Director, Glasgow City Innovation District.  Innovation: The Catalyst for Glasgow’s Growth 
• Emily Slupek, Partner, Bidwells.  Trending Now: The Evolution of Innovation-led Real Estate in the Golden Triangle
• Emma Frost, Director of Innovation, SHIFT and Chair, UK Innovation Districts Group. Innovation Districts: Shared Value and Values

Plenary 3: Sustainability: Creating & Delivering Sustainable Life Science & Research Facilities 

• Tracy D’Souza, Regional Director, AECOM.  Decarbonising Life Science Facilities: The Practical Steps 
• Sarah Ratcliffe, CEO, Better Buildings Partnership.  Sustainability Leadership: Collaborating to Drive Change Across Commercial Real Estate Portfolios 
• Keith Papa, Architect Director, BDP.  Fundamentals of Design: Addressing Net Zero Carbon 

Parallel Session 1. Cyber Resilience: The Changing Landscape, Challenges & Importance to the Innovation Sector

• Professor Carsten Maple, Professor of Cyber Systems Engineering, University of Warwick. Be Cyber Resilient Rather than Just Cyber Secure
• Geraint Williams, Chief Information Security Officer, Modern Networks.  Cyber Resilience: Challenges for Science Parks
• Niomie Haynes, Client Relationship Manager, Cyber Resilience Centre for the North West and DI Dan Giannasi, Head of Cyber and Innovation.  Cyber Crime Against Business: Reducing the Risk

Parallel Session 2. Innovation Support & Growth: City Perspectives

• John Willis, Innovation Lead, Manchester Metropolitan University.   Supporting Business to Start and Scale: Accelerated Access to University Expertise 
• Laura Bennett, Super Connector, TEAM SY (Capital Enterprise) and Tom Wolfenden, CEO, Sheffield Technoloogy Parks and Director Leah’s Yard.  A Region Connected: Greater Than the Sum of Our Parts 
• Artur Grzybowski, Innovation Director, Salford Innovation Forum.  Repositioning an Innovation Environment Through Business Support 

Final Plenary: Closing Keynote Speakers

• Professor Raquel Ortega-Argilés, Chair of Regional Economic Development, Alliance Manchester Business School. Levelling Up Through R&D: UK Evidence