Save the Date: the first West Yorkshire Innovation Festival is coming
The very first innovation festival is coming to the region (virtually this time) with a range of events running from 15-19th March.
1 February 2021
The very first innovation festival is coming to the region (virtually this time) with a range of events running from 15-19th March. The West Yorkshire Innovation Festival is raising the profile of innovation by bringing together innovative businesses, expertise, resources and support programmes, to shout about what’s happening in our region.
Created by the West Yorkshire Innovation Network and coordinated by the LEP, the aim is to help SMEs in our region to innovate, to discover the support available to help with this and to build connections, so they can develop resilient businesses, improve efficiencies, and increase productivity.
In these unprecedented times, now more than ever, we want to encourage ideas and collaboration to create new opportunities, positive change and foster a culture of innovation for future prosperity, business growth and economic recovery.
The week will be full of virtual events from workshops to talks, masterclasses to knowledge sharing, as well as lots of our region’s innovative businesses sharing their journeys, insights and lessons to inspire attendees to connect and collaborate, providing opportunities to create new and better solutions for business growth and societal good.
The LEP wants to build an open, inclusive, thriving and coherent innovation ecosystem where SMEs, entrepreneurs and individuals are inspired to innovate, helping and supporting businesses to access the most appropriate source of support available by building as clear a picture as possible. The collaboration of the West Yorkshire Innovation Network is a way of bringing this together.
Roger Marsh OBE DL, chair of the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership and the NP11 group of Northern local enterprise partnerships, commented: “This is the very first of its kind as our partners come together to showcase the very best in innovation, while trying to make business support more accessible. Together we want to encourage our SMEs to think beyond their current thinking, to see the possibility and build on their existing potential to develop sustainable businesses for the future.”
The LEP’s new Innovation Framework will be guiding future activity and investment to support innovation in Leeds City Region, which will be a fundamental part of the region’s recovery from Covid-19, as well as its long-term economic future.
Visit www.wyinnovationfestival.com to find out more and view the events schedule. The website will be updated with more information to register for events.
Need innovation support?
Our innovation support service, Connecting Innovation, has a team of Innovation Growth Managers who work with businesses to understand their needs, acting as advisors and independent brokers to provide access to the variety of innovation support and expertise available. Throughout the festival the LEP will be hosting events to showcase the support available for businesses.
Connecting Innovation is delivered by the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (the LEP) in partnership with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund.
