The FSB's National Chair of the Federation of Small Businesses, Martin McTague OBE, attended the launch of the sixth Leicestershire Innovation Festival to deliver a keynote speech and spoke alongside a number of FSB members and our Senior Policy Manager for Innovation.
Group photo of FSB members, volunteers and staff at the recent Leicestershire Innovation Festival launch event:
Left to Right: James Illsley, FSB Development Manager, Nottinghamshire Derbyshire; George Oliver, 1284 Ltd; Chloe, Sproston, Blueprint interiors; Chris Russell, FSB Policy Manager for Innovation; Rav Panesar, FSB Volunteer; Les Phillimore, FSB Regional Chair; Martin McTague OBE, FSB National Chair; Michael Weedon, FSB volunteer;
Jennifer Thomas, FSB Development Manager for Leics, Northants and Rutland; Remy Clarke, Cymer Marketing and Emrys Green, Cloud Artisans.
Following the event, Martin told the organisers how impressed he was in all that was being done and that Leicestershire is ‘leading the way’ in promoting regional business innovation. Speaking after delivering the keynote speech at the launch event, Martin said: “The festival is evidence that this issue is taken seriously here and it’s very encouraging to see for other parts of the UK. There’s a real can-do approach – people here are not put off by the barriers that exist and which we’ve talked about today.”
Leicestershire Innovation Festival is an annual celebration of ideas and improvements for organisations of all sizes operating in Leicester and Leicestershire.
The sixth annual festival launched on Monday 5 February, at Space Park Leicester, with a theme of ‘Small Change, Big Impact’ and there are also more than 20 events taking place over the next fortnight.
Mr McTague’s speech addressed barriers to small business innovation, offered potential solutions, while praising the efforts of those who are encouraging change that enables business growth.
Senior Policy Manager for Innovation, Chris Russell, followed to discuss findings from the FSB’s recent 'Tech Tonic' report, which researched small business innovation in the UK.
A detailed panel discussion hosted by the FSB also took place with audience questions answered by local FSB members who have kept their own or their client’s businesses competitive using technology and innovative approaches:
- Ashraf Attia, CEO of Leicester-based fintech company, Predictiva
- Chloe Sproston, Creative Director of Ashby-based office design specialist, Blueprint Interiors
- Byron Dixon OBE, CEO of Leicester-based biotechnology company, Micro-Fresh
- Sachin Vasani, Director of Leicester-based marketing company, Vencha Apps
Key themes across the speeches and panel discussion included barriers to innovating and taking on new tech in small businesses, availability of support and incentives, and use of language to encourage businesses to try new ventures.
The festival is led by the LLEP Business Gateway Growth Hub. For the first time in 2024, the Growth Hub will also lead the Leicestershire Innovation Awards.
Other speakers at the sold-out launch event included:
- Guests were welcomed by Professor Phil Baker, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Research and Innovation, University of Leicester and the Chair of Midlands Innovation, as well as a video message from Dr Nik Kotecha OBE DL, the Chair of the LLEP Innovation Board
- The event was hosted by Julian Bowrey, Regional Manager for Innovate UK, and Rachel Tidmarsh, MD of Bluesky International and LLEP Innovation Board member
- Dr Chris Owen, MD of Owen and Partners, and Programme Director for Made Smarter East Midlands, on competitiveness as a measure of productivity
- Will Wells, Deputy Director, Research and Enterprise Division, University of Leicester, on the new VentureVersity programme for building innovative business ideas
- Dr Kate Broadhurst, Senior Lecturer in Innovation and Strategy, Loughborough University, on her Pathways to Productivity research of regional SMEs
- Helen Donnellan, Director of Research, Business and Innovation at De Montfort University, on the small business support ecosystem
LLEP Board member Chas Bishop, CEO of the nearby National Space Centre, said: “The Leicestershire Innovation Festival is always a really exciting time.The launch was a great event, with great speakers, and was great at showing what Leicester and Leicestershire is best at – innovative businesses thinking creatively.”
FSB's Area Development Manager, Jennifer Thomas said “I was delighted to be able to pull together such a fantastic group of FSB representatives and members for what was an important and enjoyable day for the business community. Innovation has to be talked about by small businesses and for small businesses, whether it’s a restaurant having their own App to make sales and understand customers to a manufacturer trying a new market or a new process, constantly moving and improving is what SMEs have to do. All those on the panel could speak both on what they have done in their own businesses to remain competitive and succeed, and also on advice for every small business. Martin was impressed with how so many organisations work together in the area to further the local economy, and on the number of members in the room, which was around 20 on the day. A huge thank you to everyone who came.”
The launch was the first of more than 20 free events, taking place both online and at venues across the city and county between February 5 and 16. You can book here now.
Here are some photos from the event. Pictures (Credit: LLEP Business Gateway Growth Hub/Will Johnston).
A packed room for the Launch event at Space Park Leicester:
Chris Russell, FSB Senior Policy Manager presents key findings from The Tech Tonic report (below):
The FSB-hosted SME panel:
Byron Dixon of Microfresh and FSB National Chair Martin McTague:
Sachin Vasani speaking on the SME panel:
Ashraf Attia is interviewed on his business’s approach to innovating:
L-R Ashraf Attia, Chris Owen, Martin McTague, Rachel Tidmarsh, Sue Tilley from LLEP, Will Wells representing the Leicestershire Universities, and Chris Russell:
