Minister for Skills and Science, Julie James opens Wales’ first ever Innovation Summit

Part of the Venturefest business showcase event, the summit was hosted by the Innovation Advisory Council for Wales and held in the Swalec Stadium.

It had a drop-in format with speakers, participative and informative sessions aimed at encouraging collaboration, innovation and public service delivery.

The Minister for Skills and Science Julie James said:

“I don’t want innovation to be seen as a pointless luxury or an added burden.

“We have challenging times ahead. To rise to these challenges, we need innovation to find new ways of meeting our needs, to solve our problems, and to make better use of our resources and technologies.

“We have to work together to innovate and make sure we can move from ideas to impact.

“This is why the Welsh Government launched its Small Business Research Initiative Catalyst programme, which uses the public sector as an intelligent lead customer, and promotes our Welsh R&D industry. It helps to apply the new technologies we’re developing to real challenges and creates jobs and wealth for Wales.

“I want our public sector to use all the tools it has to meet the hopes and the expectations of the Welsh people.

“If we do this and work together we can adapt to changing needs, increase our efficiency and minimise costs.

“We need to build a culture where it’s not just a few businesses or people who work together to innovate and exploit our research, but where everyone does.”