With the backdrop of the Tyne bridge covered in a dusting of snow, the Glasshouse arena was the setting for a gathering of over 450 Innovate UK EDGE staff, Innovate UK Executives, business leaders and other keynote presenters. The 2023 Innovate UK Business Growth Conference was a great opportunity to celebrate the fantastic work of the Innovate UK EDGE consortium, as well as time out to network both with internal and external colleagues from across the country.
Representing Exemplas, we were proud to have our CEO, David Moule, invited to speak on the panel ‘Place pathways to growth: from local to national to international’. Focusing on the client need for a robust ecosystem of support, David reiterated the perspective of a partner supplier and reflected on challenges faced by potential clients, particularly navigating available support. The growing importance of account management is underscored, especially in providing clarity to clients amidst this intricate business support ecosystem, particularly in the current landscape of complexities at the national, regional and sub regional levels.
The conference opened with a keynote from Indro Mukerjee, acknowledging the impact Innovate UK EDGE contributes to the success of innovation-focused businesses. The next two days featured talks from a range of keystakeholders, such as, Dr. Lisa Hazelden, Chief Product Officer, who highlighted the pivotal role that innovative businesses play in contributing to the UK economy and society. Dr. Colin Tattam, Executive Director at Innovate UK KTN, highlighted Innovate UK’s efforts in creating conducive conditions for research and development-focused businesses to flourish. David Golding, Head of Innovate UK’s Global Innovation Partnerships, shared valuable perspectives on how businesses are establishing an international presence and achieving scalable growth with our support. Finally, we heard from the inspiring Professor Margaret Heffernan, an academic and highly successful businesswoman, who spoke eloquently as to what makes a high performing business and team. Rather than ‘knowledge is power’, stifling success, she spoke to the virtue of ‘helpfulness’, as a key enable to business success.
Exemplas is delighted to be a key partner in the national consortium for Innovate UK EDGE. We are looking forward to 2024, and beyond, and driving this service forward in collaboration with Innovate UK.