New Innovation Summit to showcase entrepreneurial and creative talent in South London

BIG South London has launched an “exciting”, new free-to-attend Business, Innovation & Growth Summit.

Taking place on Thursday September 15 at Kingston University’s Townhouse, it will showcase the entrepreneurial and creative talent which is “flourishing” across South London.

The Summit’s agenda is set to tackle some of the following topics:

• Climate change: the innovations needed and being delivered to help mitigate its effect on the planet and the role businesses can play.
• Delivering “essential skills for tomorrow’s workforce”: How is South London working together to ensure that it supports the skills agenda? What are the skills needed in the region to help support its development and growth as well as create opportunities further afield?
• What role does higher education play in creating thriving communities? Universities and other higher education institutions are powerhouses for knowledge, innovation and skills but how does this translate into economic development and social mobility for the areas in which they are based?

Professor Paul Workman, Harrap professor of pharmacology and therapeutics at the Institute of Cancer Research said: “World-leading innovation is taking place right here at the heart of South London.

“At The Institute of Cancer Research, we’re pioneering new fields of research designed to improve outcomes for people with cancer and our scientists are global leaders in their fields.

“Improvements to our quality of life and economic growth can only come from new research, products, services, and markets, so it’s therefore vitally important that we create an environment where innovation can flourish.

“The Summit will be a fantastic opportunity to shine a spotlight on the innovation being developed at a business and research level, right here in South London.”

Further breakout sessions bring additional interest to the line-up covering topics as broad as the Future of Work, and the Internet of Things as well as focusing on the Creative, Construction and Life Sciences and Healthcare sectors in South London.

An Innovation Showcase will run alongside the Summit which will be an interactive exhibition of research, products and ideas from leading entrepreneurs and academics from the region.

Paul Kirkbright from BIG South London added: “Most people probably aren’t fully aware of the wealth of expertise, talent, and resources available at our local universities and further education colleges. The role of BIG South London is to bring together our academic and student populations with our business and residential communities.”