Northamptonshire Innovation Ecosystem Report and new campaign: Launching next week

University of Northampton’s (UON) Knowledge Exchange and Enterprise team are inviting businesses and UON staff to attend the official launch of the Northamptonshire Innovation Ecosystem Report and an ambitious new campaign – Fuelling Innovation – on Wednesday 25 June, from 4:30pm to 7:30pm at the Town Hall, Creative Hub.

This exciting event brings together business leaders, researchers, policymakers, and community partners to explore how innovation can unlock economic potential across the region. Attendees will hear first-hand how Northamptonshire is positioning itself as a national leader in innovation-led growth, and how they can play a role in supporting this transformation.

The Innovation Ecosystem report will unveil the research into Northamptonshire’s innovation capabilities that has set the stage for Fuelling Innovation, a campaign designed to empower local businesses through funding, collaboration, and expert-led support.

Fuelling Innovation is a county-wide collaboration between the University and key partners, including Innovate UK, Silverstone Technology Cluster, NNBN, South Midlands Growth Hub, West Northamptonshire Council, and the Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce.

As part of this launch, academics will have the opportunity to build valuable networks with external stakeholders, supporting collaboration, knowledge exchange (KE), and future funding applications. With the next KE funding call on the horizon, this event presents a timely platform to explore new partnerships and contribute to the University’s growing pipeline of KE activities, helping to strengthen future HEIF returns.

UON has a proud history of delivering Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) that help businesses innovate, grow, and commercialise new ideas. One standout project, in partnership with national nursery operator Childbase Partnership, is now entering its final phase. Together, they’ve developed a toolkit to support speech and language development in early years settings. This toolkit will soon be packaged into a training programme for wider industry use, raising standards across the sector and creating new commercial opportunities for the operator.

University staff are encouraged to attend, connect with Ecosystem partners, and explore how their own research and expertise can shape the region’s innovation future.

You can sign up to attend the event here.