Following last year’s Innovation Week, the Leicestershire Innovation Festival is set to be held in February.

Starting on Monday 14th, it will run until Friday 25th and will be a “celebration of solving problems by thinking differently”.

The Innovation Awards will also take place on Thursday 24 February.

Dr Nik Kotecha OBE, Chair of Leicester Innovation Board, explained:

“There are so many innovative ideas and projects in Leicestershire, which simply won’t all fit into five days.  Last time we found that some events were competing against each other, so this year we would like our audience to have the opportunity and flexibility to see everything to be inspired to create their own innovation culture within their businesses.

“For the Innovation Festival we are inviting anyone who wants to share their innovations to organise an event and we will support by adding it to the official calendar and publicising it through the Business Gateway website and partners. This is a great opportunity for Leicestershire businesses to showcase their successes to a very wide and influential audience.”

The Innovation Festival is a partnership between Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership, Leicestershire’s three universities, Innovate UK Edge, Midlands Engine and the Business Gateway.

Sonia Baigent, Chair of the Business Gateway Board, added:

“The launch event at Space Park Leicester will be focused specifically on encouraging innovation in our Manufacturing sector. However, during the Festival we expect to see innovation highlighted in lots of different sectors and applications such as automotive, food and drink, textiles, medicine, and lots more. Every business – big and small – benefits from innovation, and that’s part of our message.”

Any organisation that would like to organise an event for the Innovation Festival should email peter.allen@bizgateway.org.uk before Christmas.

Further information will be published shortly on the innovation pages of the Business Gateway website: www.bizgateway.org.uk