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VentureFest Tees Valley reveals first speakers

VentureFest Tees Valley, the free-to-attend innovation conference, has announced its first speakers ahead of the event next month.

Taking place on 13 September at Wynyard Hall, headliners will share personal experience of lending and borrowing ideas and learnings from one business sector to benefit another.

Professor Jane Turner, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Enterprise and Business Engagement at Teesside University, will open the event with words of experience from her role of encouraging collaboration and knowledge exchange to nurture Tees Valley’s spirit of innovation.

Venturefest Tees Valley aims to attract 400 businesses, entrepreneurs and innovators from across the Tees Valley to share ideas, explore opportunities, grow new networks and raise investment.

A pioneering engineer from a technology leads business and a celebrated cardiac surgeon are among a line-up of experts who will reveal how Tees Valley businesses can benefit from ideas generated in some surprising places.

Matthew Burke, Williams Advanced Engineering

The technology developed for the race track by the Williams Formula One team is being transferred across to the Williams Advanced Engineering team and is being used in a number of other sectors through from Sports Science to Defence, Aerospace and Energy.

Recently, the Advanced Engineering team used some of the lightweight technologies employed in Formula 1 to design and develop a light weight incubator for use in the transport of critically ill babies.

In his role as Head of Technology Ventures, Matthew Burke also plays a key role in supporting new, disruptive tech businesses through from the critical start-up phase to full commercialisation.

Professor Andrew Owens, South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Professor Owens is a consultant cardiac surgeon and Director of Education, Research and Innovation at the South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, one of the largest acute trusts in the UK with a turnover of approximately £500 million, 9000 employees and providing a full range of clinical services to a population of over 1.5 million.

He uses this insight from the frontline of the operating theatre to develop niche medical devices for patients and healthcare professionals.

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: “I know the importance of innovation from my own business experience and I’m really looking forward to discussing this with delegates in my role as event speaker and Tees Valley Mayor.

“Innovation is critical to the economic success of the area and by bringing together world-class expertise and wide-ranging experiences at VentureFest Tees Valley we are creating a fertile ground for the creation of endless new ideas and collaborations.”

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