Enterprise Day 2024 took place on 20 March

Enterprise Day is the University of Bath’s annual event to bring together our entrepreneurial ecosystem and celebrate success.

On 20 March 2024, Enterprise Day took place in the University of Bath main campus with various stakeholders from our enterprise community, including entrepreneurial researchers, students, alumni, and local entrepreneurs and SMEs.

The day kicked off with registration in the atrium from 13.00 alongside our business fair, sponsored by Santander, to showcase our startups from the University of Bath. The showcase was available throughout the day and provided an ideal opportunity for networking.

The Vice-President for Enterprise of the University of Bath, Professor Jonathan Knight, provided a welcome address from 13.30, which led into our first ‘In Conversation’ session of short presentations and a panel discussion with Q&As. Speakers included George Kalligeros, an alumnus with a Masters in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Bath, who was Co-Founder and CEO of Pushme, until it was acquired by Tier Mobility where he became Vice-President for Hardware.

Also on the panel was Professor Marianne Ellis, Department of Chemical Engineering, whose spin-out company Cellular Agriculture was the first UK spin-out in cultivated protein production. Last year her entrepreneurial activity resulted in a £12 million government grant for our Cellular Agriculture Manufacturing Hub at the University of Bath. The session was chaired by Professor Sarah Hainsworth OBE, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Enterprise.

From 14.15-14.30 the ‘Pitch your Idea’ session provided the opportunity for one minute quickfire student presentations on their business ideas, followed by a choice of three Masterclasses from 14.30-15.15.

These Masterclasses were on the ‘Dos and Don’ts of Intellectual Property’ with Stephen Carter, an alumnus who was the Founder and IP expert behind The Intellectual Property Works which specialized in IP management for innovative MedTech companies.

There was also a Masterclass on ‘Working Towards Investment’ with entrepreneurial lessons from David Page, a University of Bath alumnus and serial entrepreneur who founded InToBusiness to help founders launch and grow their startups.

The final Masterclass was focused on ‘A researcher’s Perspective on the Entrepreneurial Journey’ with Dr. Andrew Cookson, Mechanical Engineering, and Helen Liang, an alumna from Bath. Her startup, LabCycle, which was based at the University of Bath was the UK’s first pilot plant for recycling plastic lab waste.

The break between 15.15 and 16.30 gave attendees a chance to network with refreshments at the Santander Start-up Business Fair.

Professor Ian White, Vice-Chancellor and President, gave reflections on his entrepreneurial journey during an interview with Professor Jonathan Knight, from 16.30-17.00 followed by Q&As.

There was a further ‘Pitch your Idea’ session, 17.00-17.15, followed by the second and final ‘In Conversation’ session of the afternoon, 17.15-18.00, on 'Building an Ecosystem for Innovation'.

This was chaired by Professor Jonathan Knight with guests including Andrea Kelly, Centre Manager of the University of Bath’s SETsquared Innovation Centre; Dr. Harry Destecroix, Founder of Science Creates ecosystem; Millie Stone, one of the leading rheumatologists in the UK who last year received the Royal Society ‘Entrepreneur in Residence’ award to work with University’s Centre for Therapeutic Innovation; and Remy Foucher, the University Relationship Manager at Santander UK and social mobility champion.

Left to right: Prof Jonathan Knight, VP Enterprise; Dr Harry Destecroix, Science Creates Founder; Prof Millie Stone, Royal Society Entrepreneur in Residence; Andrea Kelly, Innovation Centre Manager; Remy Foucher, Relationship Manager, Santander.

Enterprise Day ended with closing remarks at 18.15 and a networking drinks reception until 19.15.

Professor Jonathan Knight, Vice-President for Enterprise, said:

'Enterprise Day is always an exciting time in the University’s calendar to strengthen our entrepreneurial ecosystem, celebrate success, and engage with stakeholders to plan for future developments.'