Festival to showcase the best in West Midlands innovation

West Midlands companies are being urged to come forward to take part in a Festival of Innovation at the National Exhibition Centre in November. Organised to mark the tenth anniversary of the Lord Stafford Awards, the event is being sponsored by regional development agency Advantage West Midlands and will showcase the cream of innovative businesses and products from across the region. The Lord Stafford Awards aim to recognise, encourage and reward the development of collaborative relationships between West Midlands businesses and universities. The Festival of Innovation will take place on

Thursday November 15 and will show how the West Midlands has forged ahead in terms of innovation and collaboration, linking businesses with our world-class universities to encourage knowledge transfer and deliver innovative products, processes and services.

Entrepreneurs will be on hand to offer expert advice and students will be able to get access to the support on offer to help them kick start their businesses, including collaboration with universities in the region. Leading innovation projects will be on display and visitors will have the opportunity to take part in the most inspiring collaborative event of the year. The event will precede the tenth annual Lord Stafford Awards where innovative companies can enter to win cash prizes. Beckie Lewis, Lord Stafford Awards Manager, said: “We’re looking for companies across the West Midlands to get involved in what will be a truly spectacular showcase of innovation.

“Our region’s economy was built on innovation and each year the Lord Stafford Awards show exactly how much excellent work is going on today. “This year, with the tenth anniversary of the Awards, we’re organising this festival to really put West Midlands Innovation on the map and encourage even more collaboration with universities. “With support from Advantage West Midlands we are looking forward to putting on a memorable snapshot of the tremendous work that the region is helping to develop.” Keith Harvey, Innovation and Technology Manager at Advantage West Midlands, said: “Innovation is one of the key challenges the West Midlands faces and we need to do more to promote the achievements of innovative companies and individuals. “The Festival of Innovation will be one of the key ways to do this and will help to inspire the next generation to create the innovations of the future.”