Inspirational speakers, essential networking, and an opportunity to share international best practice: the Climate-KIC Innovation Festival 2015 will be held in our West Midlands region.
The three day annual conference brings together the Climate-KIC community; partners, students, and entrepreneurs as well as European policy makers and international business market leaders, to share learning and best practice and to recapture our shared mission of working together to shape the world’s next green economy. As a result the festival highlights Climate-KIC’s efforts in developing and commercialising innovative climate change products and services.
A key festival objective this year is to showcase the community’s successes and focus on developing and growing in the future. With an audience including the current Climate KIC and wider international low carbon communities there will be ample opportunity for structured and informal networking.
The following topics will be covered during the festival:
- Strategic relationships and demonstrating values
- Ideas with impact and appropriate expansion
- The future of Climate KIC
Venture Competition final
The Innovation Festival will also host Climate KIC’s Venture Competition finals. The 23 winners of regional competitions from across Europe were each awarded up to €20,000 to develop their business priorities. As Europe’s best cleantech 2.0 start-ups they will now compete in the 2015 venture competition finals.
Agenda
Wednesday 28th October, Venture Competition
14:00 – 15:00 Venture Competition lunch
15:00 – 17:00 Venture Competition semi-finals
17:00 – 18:00 Venture Competition semi-final networking and drinks event
20:00 – 20:15 Welcome Drinks reception, CEO opens
20:15 – 20:30 Speeches from Sir Albert Bore and Professor Sir Nigel Thrift
20:30 – 20:45 Event sponsor speech (drinks and nibbles served before and after speeches)
Thursday 29th October, Innovation Festival
8:30 – 9:00 Registration
8:30 – 9:00 ET/VIP welcome area
9:00 – 10:00 CEO Welcome, Keynote Address from Jonathon Porritt (CBE, Co-founder Forum for the Future) and Making Innovation Happen in Europe talk from Antonios Fysekidis, EIT
10:00 – 11:00 Panel discussion: EU 2030 The Business of Climate Change with Jonathon Porritt CBE, Josephine Fairly (Founder Green & Black’s), James Wilde (Carbon Trust) and David Hill (OpenEnergi) facilitated by Philippa Jones (European Environmental Bureau).
11:00 – 11:30 Refreshments served
11:30 – 13:00 Market place open including Climate Cinema, Exhibition and Networking Lounge
11:30 – 13:00 Thematic sessions: Urban Transition, Thematic Session 2: Sustainable Land use systems, Sustainable production systems, Decision Metrics and Finance
13:00 – 14:00 Lunch served
14.00 – 15.15 Venture Competition final (session 1)
14:00 – 15:30 Market place open including Climate Cinema, Exhibition and Networking Lounge
14:00 – 15:30 Workshops: Low Carbon Buildings, Climate Smart Agriculture, Industrial Clusters and Climate Accounting
14:00 – 15:30 PIP showcase (CLOSED EVENT)
15.30 – 16.30 Venture Competition final (session 2)
15:30 – 17:00 Market place open including Climate Cinema, Exhibition and Networking Lounge
15:30 – 17:00 Workshops: Smart Sustainable Districts, Sustainable forests, Circular economy and European investment programmes
15:30 – 17:00 Workshop: Central Asia and Eastern Partnership cooperation on climate issues
17:00 – 17:30 Refreshments served
17:30 – 18:00 Feedback session
17:30 – 18:30 Workshop: Climate-KIC Alumni Association
19:30 – 22:30 Evening session, including Venture Competition Awards ceremony
Friday 30th October, Climate-KIC Staff Town Hall
8:30 – 9:00 Coffee and Croissants
9:00 – 10:00 Plenary session
10:00 – 10:30 BREAK
10:30 – 12:30 Breakout sessions
12:30 – 14:00 Lunch and close
Venue
The Innovation Festival will be held in Birmingham, UK.
Wednesday 28th October: The Venture Competition will be hosted at the Hyatt Regency Birmingham and the Welcome Drinks reception at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.
Thursday 29th October: The Innovation Festival will be hosted at ICC, Birmingham on the Thursday.
Friday 30th October: The Climate-KIC Staff Town Hall will be hosted at the Hyatt Regency Birmingham.
More for information regarding timings and specific events, please see the Agenda tab above.