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Venturefest North East reveals headline speakers

The lineup of speakers for Venturefest North East has been revealed, which will see a host of innovators share their success stories at the sell-out Gateshead event.

Venturefest North East Director Simon Green says their determination to make an impact on the world cannot fail to motivate the region’s business community and inspire exciting ways to disrupt markets with new ideas.

Those speaking will reveal what’s next in innovation on a national scale and challenge local businesses to raise their game.

The headliners will share the stage with North East businesspeople who have already dared to do things differently by settling at nothing less than international success.

Speakers will include:

Tony Parraman, Bloodhound SSC

Tony is Head of Sponsor Liaison at the Bloodhound Project, a ground-breaking British engineering initiative to design a supersonic racing car that breaks the world land speed record by achieving a staggering 1,000mph. Tony will explain how the project relies on open innovation techniques, with component parts designed by collaboration and the resulting technology being made available to UK manufacturing to improve the competitiveness of the industry.

Jackie Marshall-Balloch, Innovate UK

Jackie is a nurse who has become a trailblazer for a revolution in long-term care. Her passionate belief that the current institutional system is not fit for purpose led her to her current position as Lead of the Assisted Living Innovation Platform at Innovate UK. Jackie challenges entrepreneurs, businesses and academics to rethink, redesign and reimagine the future for our ageing society.

James Akrigg, Microsoft UK

James is Head of Technology for Partners at Microsoft UK. A self-confessed ‘geek by passion and profession’, he is an expert in how technology can deliver real value and benefit to businesses and individuals. With experience in IT infrastructure, architecture, software development, business process, information management, software and hardware technologies, James simplifies the use of complex technologies for his clients to deliver innovative business solutions. James is back by popular demand at Venturefest, securing a keynote speaker slot after a hugely successful workshop event last year.

Darren Jobling, Eutechnyx & Zerolight

Darren Jobling is a games industry entrepreneur instrumental in turning Zeppelin Games into Eutechnyx which, from its base in Gateshead, has become one of the world’s largest independent developers specialising in racing and driving games. Last year, Darren launched ZeroLight, a digital automotive platform for the world’s biggest car makers. Contract wins with Audi, Pagani and IBM resulted in ZeroLight being recognised as one of the Top 100 Start-Ups in the UK in 2015. Rated as one of the most influential people in the North East for the last five years, Darren will share his experience of building a world-leading technology company in the region.

Arnab Basu, Kromek

Arnab is Co-Founder and Chief Executive of Kromek, an innovative company providing airport safety systems based at NETPark, County Durham. The firm is best known for pioneering a scanner that in less than 20 seconds can identify liquids in bottles, including explosives, alcohol and narcotics, without them being opened. Nine UK airports, including Durham Tees Valley, currently use this technology and the firm recently announced a string of new contracts to supply airports in Portugal, Cyprus and Belgium.

Also headlining at the event will be Hans Möller, Innovation Director with the North East LEP, who will provide an insight into the work of the organisation’s innovation board to create the conditions for a new and dynamic innovation culture across the North East economy.

Harry Swan, Managing Director of Consett-based chemical manufacturing firm Thomas Swan & Co. Ltd, will reveal how innovation has been the secret of success for his fourth generation family business and how this global ambition led to his appointment to the Governing Board of Innovate UK.

Simon Green said: “Venturefest North East is a relatively new event in the regional business calendar but it has already established itself as a must-attend event for smart organisations who are keen to gain competitive advantage and stay ahead of the curve. This year’s conference has already sold out, which shows that the region’s businesses understand the importance of innovation for future growth.

“Our audience has come to expect a very high standard of content and this year we are raising the bar even further with a strong line-up of headline speakers who will inspire and inform with engaging personal stories, words of wisdom and a spot of future gazing.”

Venturefest North East will bring together 600 businesses, entrepreneurs and inventors with investors and advisors who have a specific interest in innovation. By stimulating new ideas, building networks, brokering funding deals and providing practical tools for business growth, the aim is to increase the number of innovative products and services coming out of the region.

Inspirational talks by the headline speakers will be built upon in a series of practical, industry-specific workshops. Organisations will also get the chance to meet potential investors in a series of one-to-one sessions.

Venturefest North East is a key element of the North East LEP’s innovation programme and is part of a national network of innovation conferences supported by UK innovation agency Innovate UK and the Knowledge Transfer Network.