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WORLD LEADING BUSINESS SUPPORT
Networking, lunch, meet the pitching companies and founders
Keynote speaker: Professor Chris Johnson, Chief Scientific Adviser, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT)
Choose one breakout session to attend. Each session will take 45 minutes.
Breakout session 1:
Right capital, right time: connecting university spin-outs with investors
How can universities and investors build stronger relationships, improve investment readiness and create clearer funding pathways from pre-seed to scale-up?
Facilitator: Paul Devlin, Head of Research Commercialisation and Impact, Cardiff University
Breakout session 2:
Deep tech’s next decade: where will the returns come from?
Deep tech has never attracted more attention, but turning breakthrough science into returns remains a long game. Which sectors, models and exits will define the decade ahead?
Facilitator: MaIja Palmer, Editor-in-Chief, Global Corporate Venturing
The role of university funds in supporting regional growth and development and capital mobilisation for spinouts
Facilitator: Thierry Heles, Founder/Editor, The Next Leap
Panellists:
Professor Chris Johnson, Chief Scientific Adviser, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT)
Chris Evans, Director of Innovation, Impact & Business and Director of Regional Engagement, University of Exeter
Lucy Sykes, CEO/CSO, Meomics
Drinks reception and networking, closing remarks, SETsquared Investment Awards
Awards host: Serena Giaminardi, Head of Programmes and Investment, SETsquared
Professor Chris Johnson is the Chief Scientific Adviser in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), having taken up the role in July 2024. Prior to this, he served as Pro Vice Chancellor for Engineering and Physical Sciences at Queen’s University, Belfast (2020-24) and Head of Computing Science at Glasgow University (2014-2020).
Chris’ research interests lie at the intersection of cyber security and the engineering of safety-critical systems, in applications where it is not possible to halt operation and analyse potential malware without creating significant safety concerns. He helped lead the Department for Transport (DfT) review of UK airports, airlines and air traffic organisations that informed the National Cybersecurity Strategy for Aviation. He set up cyber security labs for the UK Civil Nuclear Industry. He was SG Chair of the National Cyber Security Centre’s Community of Interest in Industrial Control Systems. He is a member of the National Cyber Advisory Board (NCAB) appointed to support the implementation of the UK Cyber Strategy.
His early work helped deliver a range of analysis techniques to identify lessons learned from previous failures. He subsequently served as an expert witness to the Grenfell Tower public inquiry, where he helped identify recommendations to improve data and communications across the UK emergency services.
His more recent work has delivered techniques for the ethical introduction of machine learning in military systems, including safety and security requirements, on behalf of the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD).
He has held fellowships from NASA, as well as the US Air Force and the US Navy (Office of Naval Research).
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