Visits to BGU from Innovate UK

December saw the university host its first meeting of the Innovate UK East Midlands Knowledge Transfer Forum since joining the Innovate UK Knowledge Transfer Partnerships programme, and this month Lincolnshire Open Research and Innovation Centre (LORIC) and the KTP team at Bishop Grosseteste University are pleased to have hosted two visits from Innovate UK representatives.

We were very happy to welcome Steve Hargreaves, the new Innovate UK Business Connect Knowledge Transfer Advisor for Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, and Knowledge Transfer Manager for the Bishop Grosseteste University KTP portfolio for a formal visit earlier in the month. On his visit he was able to meet with senior leaders, take a tour or the campus and to give a presentation to academics on the benefits of Knowledge Transfer partnerships.

Following, Steve's visit, we were then delighted to host James Silverward, the new Regional Manager for the East Midlands at Innovate UK for his first visit to our campus. James' role covers Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Greater Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire, and Milton Keynes, in which he works with businesses, universities, and the wider public sector to drive business impact through innovation programmes. James has said that he "found it helpful to see and hear more about the work the university is doing and how it is getting on in its innovation journey", and shared the latest Innovate UK Local Actions Plans with staff.

KTP manager for BGU, Kay Purle says "it is great to host representatives from Innovate UK, and hopefully help to put BGU on the map in terms of the local innovation landscape. As a small, specialist university, we hope to demonstrate that innovation can mean many things, and does not just encompass science and technology. Our strong connections with education and with the Voluntary, Community Faith and Social Enterprise sector are leading the way for innovative practice in these areas, and this is particularly highlighted by our successful Knowledge Transfer Partnerships with Lincolnshire CVS, and with Liverpool Cathedral".