The week-long West Yorkshire Innovation Festival will take place between 3-7 March to champion, celebrate and foster collaboration among the region’s business base.
Businesses and organisations will be able to hear from and network with leading private sector innovators as well as public sector finance providers, to help accelerate their business plans through the development of new innovations that can boost their productivity and profits.
The festival follows the launch of the million-pound Mayor’s Big Ideas Challenge, which will see successful businesses receive up to £100,000 to develop innovative solutions to local health challenges.
By supporting SMEs to grow and succeed while targeting investment at the region’s fastest growing business sectors, the region’s multibillion-pound Local Growth Plan aims to add £26 billion to the UK economy and support the creation of an additional 33,000 local jobs.
Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said: “This year, business leaders have so many inspiring and educational events to look forward to, from masterclasses with proven innovators, to networking opportunities with those who can help turn bright ideas into bigger growth.
“To deliver our ambitious growth plan, we need to empower our growth creators. That means helping our businesses to innovate at a time of great challenge and opportunity, so they can continue to grow, succeed, and contribute to a stronger and brighter economy for the region.”
