I had a great day at the inaugural Medway Business and Innovation Conference hosted by the University of Kent, Canterbury Christ Church University and the University of Greenwich. The Rochester Corn Exchange was the perfect venue, with its sweeping staircase, classical columns, ornate plasterwork and incredible chandeliers.
The opening speech from Labour MP for Rochester and Strood, Lauren Edwards set the scene and gave delegates a positive message for business support and growth in the Medway area. We then heard from the first keynote speaker, Peter Le Voir, CEO and founder of Rhokett, who shared his company’s journey providing insights into his business growth and finance.
Delegates then had the choice of workshops which covered Closing the skills gap, Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, Sustainability, Digitising your business and Maximising value chains. Led by academics and business experts who facilitated lively discussions around the topics.
Following lunch a panel discussion led by Abbie Kempe, Canterbury Christ Church University explored opportunities for business support and funding through Innovate UK, Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce, and Medway Council with Annabelle Cox, CEO of Tensei providing an SME perspective on the obstacles to accessing government funding for early stage companies.
The final keynote speaker was Roger Williams, founder of Intelligent Linking, who presented a positive review of his work with Medway Council in releasing entrepreneurial potential and its economic impact on the local community.
The event highlighted how universities and organisations can work together to help drive social and economic change in the region.