Innovate Local: South Yorkshire

Penistone Line

Author Richard Harvey Licence CC BY-SA 2.0 UK Source Wikimedia

 

Jane Lambert

Yesterday I attended Innovate Local - South Yorkshire at Glide House in Attercliffe.  It was the fourth Innovate Local that I have attended.  The others were in Bradford, Halifax and Production Park which is somewhere near South Kirkby.  The Victoria Hotel and Dean Clough Mill were easy enough to find. Production Park was a pain but Glide House took the biscuit.  It does not appear on all maps and the few that show it fail to identify car parks and bus routes in the vicinity.

As there were 110 names on the delegate list, I doubted that I would find parking.  I therefore took the Penistone Line, which somehow survived Dr Beeching.  Between Honley and Dodworth, that line meanders through some of the loveliest landscapes in England.  As the train was not very fast and as my taxi driver had never heard of Glide House and could not find it or Terry Street on his satnav, I arrived after the event had started.  One friendly face I met outside the building belonged to Abdul-Basit Mohammed, whom I had met at several other UKRI events.  Another belonged to Jordan Meadows, who staffed the registration table and graciously accepted my apology for tardiness.

The morning session opened with talks by Kola Ladejobi (Knowledge Transfer Manager ‑ Local Partnerships Innovate UK Business Connect), Lee Viney (Regional Manager – Yorkshire & Humber and the North East Innovate UK), Abbie Miladinovic (Strategic Lead Investment Zone) and Martin Baker (Ideas & Innovation Director, Gripple Ltd). It continued with presentations from Richard Gardiner of Ferret Works, Andy Taylor, Team Leader (Yorkshire & Humber) Innovate UK Business Growth, Lisa Whalley (Client Relationship Manager, Sheffield Hallam University) and Ryan Sylvester(Lead Sector Specialist – Investment Zone Growth and Sector Development).

After a 30-minute coffee break, Paul O'Brien (CEO of Elaros), Zeezy Izenman (Founder and CEO Motion Health Ltd.), Ben White, Co-Founder of Rivelin Rail and Clare Lankester, Commercial Director of Fyous discussed their respective business innovation journeys.   Towards the end of the discussion, the moderator invited the inventors and entrepreneurs to reveal their "eureka moment".  I observed that in my experience of advising and assisting inventors, most technical advances resulted from a long process of experiments, observations and adjustments.  The man in the seat next but one to mine said that innovation was a response to a problem. I subsequently discovered that he had attended one of my initial advice and signposting clinics and that he had put my advice to good use.

The last session of the morning was on future thinking and featured Joseph Quinn of the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, Claire Louise Green, Business Investment Manager of Rotherham MBC, Ben Hawley, Group Leader of  Enterprising Barnsley at Barnsley MBC and Alex Dochery, Investment Team Manager at Business Doncaster (City of Doncaster MDC).  That session covered the funding and support available from the mayoral combined authority and each of the boroughs.  I learned a lot from that discussion but was disappointed that nobody acknowledged the work of the South Yorkshire Business and IP Centre in Sheffield Central Library and each of the boroughs or the Business Village on Innovation Way in Barnsley. 

Attendees were treated to a buffet lunch of sandwiches, sausage rolls, pizzas and brownies with hot and cold drinks between 12:45 and 14:00.  I explored the stands and met some of the exhibitors. I recognized a few faces from the Inventors Club that I used to chair at Sheffield Central Library and the initial advice and signposting clinics that I ran at the Business Village and other locations.   As I was entering my taxi, one of them - a lady I know only as Olusola - recognized me and asked whether I still ran the clinics.  I was glad to tell her that I did.

After lunch, we had a choice between "Financing your business through Public and Private Funding", "Good Application Guide" and "Unlocking Growth Across Sectors with AI."  I chose the last and listened to an entertaining panel discussion between Emma Louise Staines, Founder of  ComplyAI, Mark Taylor Founder of Automated Analytics, Professor Wei Xing of Sheffield University and Dr Denis Newman-Grifis.  Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court had handed down its judgment in Emotional Perception AI Ltd v Comptroller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks [2026] UKSC 3 (11 Feb 2026) on whether it is possible to patent "a particular type of what may loosely be called artificial intelligence, specifically that which consists of, resides in, or is centred around, an artificial neural network".  I had hoped for an industry comment on the case, but the topic did not come up in discussion, and I did not get a chance to raise it.  However, the panel did discuss the menace of human biases in programming AI systems at Mark Taylor's instigation which was also interesting.

The last item on the agenda was another breakout session.  We were offered "Discover the Power of Innovation Through Knowledge Transfer Partnerships", "From Innovation to Impact: Commercialising Health Solutions in South Yorkshire" and "Innovate UK Business Growth and Global". I chose the second option, which was another panel discussion. The panellists were Richard Stubbs, Sarah Daniel, Rashmi Raju, Aaton Oliver Taylor and Professor Paul Dimitri. All had interesting things to say but only Sarah Daniel, who had established several rehabilitation clinics throughout Yorkshire, seemed to focus on commercializing health solutions in the county.

Attendees were invited to stay on until 17:00 for networking, and I noticed that there was a bar in Glide House.  As there is only one train an hour in each direction along the Penistone Line, I called a taxi and left for Meadowhall station. I had a good day and congratulate the organizers and speakers.   My only criticism is that a lot of organizations that help entrepreneurs, such as the Business and IP Centres and the Business Village, were absent.  I was surprised that I was the only intellectual property professional and I am not sure that there were any angel or private equity investors at the event.

Anyone wishing to discuss this article may call me on 020 7404 5252 during office hours or send me a message through my contact page.

Production Park hosts Innovate UK Local

 

Jane Lambert

Production Park which hosted yesterday's Innovate Local West Yorkshire was a very different venue from the Great Victoria Hotel in Bradford or Dean Clough Mills in Halifax where previous Innovate UK Local events had been held.  Production Park describes itself as "a curated community of studios, technology and talent," It claims to have "helped the world’s biggest artists, brands, companies and channels produce world tours, shows, product launches, films and more." It is also an educational institution offering courses leading to first and postgraduate degrees in subjects relating to Production Park's activities,

As it is located on an industrial estate in South Kirkby, Production Park is not easy to find. Google Maps led me through residential streets and country lanes before delivering me to my destination. By the time I arrived, every space in the car park had been taken, so I parked in the widest and quietest part of the street, several hundred yards from the entrance.   

However, the moment I entered the room where the plenary sessions were taking place I could see why that venue had been chosen.   The room was cavernous.   It seemed as big as an aircraft hangar.  Tables lining the walls were occupied by exhibitors and caterers.  Several flights of stairs led to the ceiling,   An enormous screen projected images of the speakers who were seated on a dais overlooking the audience. Two years ago I attended the opening of Aria Studios just outside Llangefni (see Jane Lambert Aria Studios - its Importance to Northwest Wales 29 Jan 2023 NIPC Wales). Production Park was on a completely different scale.

The day began with a welcome from Megan Kearns, Knowledge Transfer Manager - Place (Local Partnerships), Jim Farnery, Director of External Affairs at Production Park, Sarah Bowes, Head of Business Innovation and Inclusive Economy at West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Lee Viney, Regional Manager at Innovate UK (Yorkshire & Humber and the North East).  They were followed by representatives of business support agencies in a session called "The Power of the Ecosystem in West Yorkshire."

In a Q&A session, my former MP, Jason McCartney, observed that the increase in defence spending announced by the Prime Minister was a business opportunity. He set up a company earlier this year that trades as Innovate Yorkshire,  According to its LinkedIn page, "Innovate Yorkshire is dedicated to helping businesses, charities, and organisations across Yorkshire and the North of England navigate complex challenges and unlock new opportunities."  He said that local companies were already winning defence business.

The last plenary session before lunch was called "My Business Innovation Journey,"  A panel of local business owners who had been assisted by Innovate UK were interviewed by a moderator about their dealings with Innovate UK.  They also took questions from the floor,   The industries represented ranged from medical devices to digital marketing. 

Our buffet lunch was tasty,   I chose couscous, prawns, salmon, mackerel strips, vegetables and onion bhajis.  I shared a table with Thierry Delange, Business Development Director of RTC North.  In Rise & Design in Marshall Mills on 28 Feb 2024, I noted that RTC North describes itself as "one of Europe’s leading technology transfer companies with a trusted reputation for delivering services in innovation and business growth."   During the lunch break, I visited the stands of ClimbUK, Leeds University Nexus, Leeds Beckett University's Knowledge Exchange, Trio and Innovate UK.  I was particularly interested to learn about Innovate UK's "No Limits" programme.

After lunch, we were offered the choice of three breakout sessions between 14:00 and 14:45:

• Driving Your Business Forwards: Innovate UK Business Growth;
• Financing Your Business Innovation Journey; and 
• No Limits To Innovation: Breaking Barriers and Building Futures.

I chose "Financing Your Business Innovation Journey" which turned out to be yet another panel discussion.

 

One of the speakers was Hana Hussein, Investment Director of Big Issue Invest, which is part of the Big Issue Group,  The Group exists to lift the most unfortunate members of the community out of poverty.  Big Issue Invest supports social enterprises, social-purpose businesses and charities that create core solutions to poverty.  

Another panel member represented Leeds Angels which was formed towards the end of 2024. While chatting to her after the session I learned that she was a patent attorney and that Leeds Angels had already held several dinners and pitching sessions.  We spoke about pitching and I mentioned my Tips for Pitching to Business Angels which I posted to NIPC Wales on 26 Feb 2025.

I asked about the advice and assistance that was available to companies that had made good use of private equity investment and were looking to expand still further through flotation.  I had previously raised that issue at Innovate UK's Regional Investment Spotlight in Liverpool on 26 June 2024 and at the Northern Powerhouse Roadshow at the Royal Armouries in October.  As in Liverpool and Leeds last year I was told that I had asked a good question but I did not get any good any good answers.  I believe that this is a vulnerability in our business support system which hurts our economy.  In my very modest way, I proposed a solution in From Startups to Scaleups in NIPC Wales on 19 Oct 2021.

The choice for the last breakout session between 15:00 and 15:45 was:

• Creative Innovation Powering West Yorkshire; 
• Empowering Innovation: Meet the Associates; and 
• Powering HealthTech Innovation: Unlocking West Yorkshire’s Ecosystem.

Having attended Huddersfield Health Innovation Partnership's first conference in September 2024 I chose the latter.

Instead of a panel discussion, the session convenor asked the contributors to the session who included John Cooper, Innovation Relationship Manager at West Yorkshire Combined Authority, Richard Hall of pd-m International, Lindsay Georgopoulos of Medipex and the representatives of Leeds University Nexus and Leeds Angels whom I had mentioned earlier to position themselves around the meeting room.  Attendees were encouraged to buttonhole the contributors and mark each meeting with a cross on a feedback form.  The whole session was called healthcare bingo.  It worked a lot better than it sounds.  I found myself in several meaningful conversations where I made or reinforced a connection or learned something new.

Production Park has its own fully licensed pub on its premises,  ClimbUK extended the networking until 17:00 by hosting a free bar for attendees.  As in Innovate UK Local's previous events in Bradford and Halifax, this gathering was well worth attending.  It would have been even better had the names and contact details of the speakers appeared on the Agenda.  A list of attendees would also have been useful.  Anyone wishing to discuss this article can call me on 020 7404 5252 during UK office hours or send me a message through my contact page at any time.

Innovate Local visits Halifax

Dean Clough Mills

Author Charlesdrakew  Source Wikimedia Cinnions

 

Jane Lambert

United Kingdom Research and Innovation ("UKRI") was established by s,91 (1) of the Higher Education and Research Act 2017. It consists of 9 bodies one of which is Innovate UK. Innovate UK is the national innovation agency.  It helps businesses grow through the development and commercialisation of new products, processes, and services,

Innovate Local promotes UKRI and Innovate UK to the regions. On 14 Nov 2023, it held an event for West Yorkshire businesses at Dean Clough Mills in Halifax,  The day began with introductions from UKRI and Innovate UK executives, Tracy Brabin, the Mayor of West Yorkshire, and other local authority leaders.  It was followed by success stories from business owners.

A buffet lunch was served between 12:00 and 13:00 which offered a chance to visit the stands of local universities and agencies.  The University of Huddersfield stand was staffed by Prof. John Allport who teaches Turbocharger Engineering in the Department of Engineering and Technology.  Prof Allport and I had an interesting discussion on why relatively few women make careers in engineering.  In his view, too many girls (but not boys) are encouraged to believe at an early age that maths and science are not really for them.  Other countries do not seem to have that problem to anything like the same extent.   That accorded with my experience.  It may have a lot to do with very early specialization in England and Wales.

After lunch there was a choice of breakout sessions between 13:00 and 14:00:

• "Inclusive Innovation - by and for everyone"
• "Healthcare Innovation: funding and cluster opportunities" and 
• "Supporting your Business Innovation Journey."

I chose "Healthcare Innovation! in the hope of hearing about such initiatives as Bradford University's Institute of Pharmaceutical innovation. There was plenty of information about the biomedical catalyst and support for SMEs in the healthcare technology sector.  There was an interesting case history from one of those companies.  There was some discussion about medical devices but nothing on pharma as such. However, I did learn that the West Yorkshore Combined Authority had an interest in health tech.  Through exploring its web pages on health tech I discovered a five year Healthtech Strategy for the region.

Between 14:00 and 15:00 the choice lay between:

• "West Yorkshire Manufacturing Cluster"
• "Women in Digital Innovation Network" and 
• "Financing your Business Innovation Journey."

I attended the financing session and found it was the most interesting of the day.   There was a panel of angels and venture capitalists chaired by Basit Mohammed, Knowledge Transfer Manager ‑ Regional Investments Innovate UK KTN.  There was one entrepreneur who had actually started a business and it was interesting to see the tangible support that was actually available.   As most of the seats had been taken by the time I arrived I found myself an excellent heckling position at the back of the room.  I asked about valuation of start-ups when their only assets were a patent application at best.  I was looking to the private equity investors and I did not really get a clear answer about any of that.   I also asked the VCs about flotations on the Alternative Investment Market  for successful scale-ups.   I got the impression that it was still early days.

This is trhe second Innovate Local event that I have attended,   I was at a similar event in Bradford last year (see Innovate Local West Yorkshire 22 Oct 2022).   It is very important for intellectual property lawyers - particularly barristers - to attend events like these. It enables us to keep tabs on what is happening to businesses that may require legal advice and representation.   Anyone who wants to discuss this article may call me on 020 7404 5252 during UK office hours or send me a message through my contact form.

Innovate Local West Yorkshire

Jane Lambert

The second West Yorkshire Innovation Festival has been taking place this week.  It is a celebration of the ingenuity and enterprise of the millions who live or work in that metropolitan county.  Here is a programme of the events that have been taking place during this Festival.

I spent yesterday at Innovate Local West Yorkshire which took place at the Great Victoria Hotel in Bradford.  InnovateUK is the national innovation agency. It supports business-led innovation in all sectors and technologies.  The event, which was staged in collaboration with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and the West Yorkshire Innovation Network, consisted of an all-day conference of local political and business leaders and academics and an exhibition.

The conference was divided into a plenary session in the morning and parallel workshops in the afternoon.  There were breaks for morning coffee, lunch and afternoon tea.   After a welcome from the leader of Bradford City Council, the Chief Executive of Innovate UK and the Mayor of West Yorkshire there was a panel discussion on what is meant by innovation and related topics. That was generally platitudinous but I welcomed Kamran Rashid's call to think regionally rather than globally.  I also noted Mark Roberts's assertion that Yorkshire had the fastest-growing digital sector outside London.

 After coffee, we heard from various entrepreneurs and academics.   I was particularly impressed with Saille Villegas who had come to Leeds from Mexico to study computing and stayed to set up the medical technology company SEEAI Ltd.  Having recently read Laura Esquivel's Like Water for Chocolate and having watched the film and ballet of the same name I have developed an interest in Mexico.  I had hoped to buttonhole her to find out why she was drawn to this country rather than the United States which is just across the border and has a free trade agreement with her government and Canada but I could not find her in the crowd.

Another impressive presentation was on AMPI (the Advanced Machinery and Productivity Institute).  This is a collaboration between the National Physical Laboratory, Rochdale Development Agency, the Universities of Huddersfield, Leeds,  Manchester and Salford and other organizations to create new machines and technology to manufacture products and materials for the future.  The Institute, which is based in Rochdale, carries out research. consultancy, teaching and training.   The presenter, whose name I did not catch, reminded the audience that manufacturing is still important to the British economy,

Yet another memorable talk was given by Ian Laidler of  Wayland Additive which develops IP-rich technologies.   Dr Laidler said that the company held 10 patent families and that a further 4 were on their way.  I have to say in passing that I was surprised not to meet any other IP lawyers or patent or trade mark attorneys even though IP is key to safeguarding investment in innovation.   Dr Laidler explained the advantages of his company's inventions.   He finished by speaking about the age range of its employees ranging from gap-year students to pensioners.   All had contributed to the company's success.

The workshops that I attended in the afternoon were on space and healthcare.  Mandy Ridyard of Space Hub Yorkshire profiled the Yorkshire space industry and discussed the opportunities that I had mentioned in Commercial Exploitation of Space: Space Industry Act 2019 in NIPC Law on 10 April  2018.   She mentioned some of the facilities for space research and collaboration that are available at NEXUS Leeds.  She was disappointed that Yorkshire was the only region that had yet to receive inward investment.  In the Q&A that followed her talk, I ventured to suggest that might be because most of the new investment in space in this country was directed to launch technology.   Yorkshire does not have a spaceport but Harlech which is a 2-hour drive away does.   I told her about the Menai Science Park's webinar to celebrate World Intellectual Property Day and suggested that she should talk to Emily Roberts of the science park and David Young of the Snowdonia Aerospace Centre.  The other main speaker on space was Emma Hatton of the Satellite Catapult.

We learned more about NEXUS in the healthcare workshop and the accelerator programme for the businesses that wished to supply the NHS.  Next came Professor Liz Breen of the School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences at the University of Bradford.  Prof Breen discussed the Digital Health Enterprise Zone of which she is the Director.

The last session was on private funding.   We heard from Jordan Dargue who had recently set up a network of women business angels to fund women entrepreneurs in the North of England,  Willian Schaffer of Mercia Asset Management and Sophie Dale-Black of the British Business Bank.  I asked Mr Schaffer how many of his companies achieved a flotation on the AIM or were acquired at a premium.   He replied that out of every 10 companies, 2 to 3 might fail altogether, another 2 to 3 might return the investment, yet another 2 to 3 might earn a small return and perhaps 1 or 2 might be "unicorns."   The afternoon was wound up by Ian Edwards of Innovate UK Edge who summariaed the earlier presentations in his "Finance Escalator."

Anyone wishing to discuss this article can call me on 020 7404 5252 during office hours or send me a message through my contact page,

Pennine Cloud's "Smart Holmfirth" Initiative

Author Michael Ely
Licence  Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike 2.0 

Jane Lambert

The government's industrial strategy is built on 5 foundations  one of which is "place".  In conjunction with the national strategy local areas are encouraged to develop their own local industrial strategies to "identify local strengths and challenges, future opportunities and the action needed to boost productivity, earning power and competitiveness."

In a press release published on the 17 Jan 2018 the Leeds City Region local economic partnership announced discussions with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority on a "New inclusive Industrial Strategy to put region at forefront of UK productivity and prosperity." The Leeds City Region covers a vast and diverse area from the Yorkshire Dales to Leeds and Bradford.  Each and every one of the districts of that City region has its own strengths and opportunities for which district strategies will be required.

One of the metropolitan districts of the Leeds City Region is Kirklees which includes small towns and villages in the rural Pennines as well as former mill towns.  It goes without saying that the needs of the rural communities are very different from urban ones.  Realizing that it is up to local communities to help themselves, Will Roebuck, a non-executive member of the Leeds City Region LEP with 25 years experience of information technology, telecommunications and media, has set up a company called the Pennine Cloud which describes itself as "the challenger and accelerator hub for business and community leaders and top managers working across the UK's Pennine region."

On Wednesday, 12 Sep 2018, the Pennine Cloud convened a meeting of representatives of local businesses and other organizations in Holmfirth Methodist Church on 12 Sept 2018 to discuss:

"How do we unlock the opportunities and benefits of the Leeds City Region's digital economy? Especially in rural areas, such as in the South Pennines and Holmfirth?"

The title of the meeting was "Smart Holmfirth' - Enabling Rural Digital Across The Leeds City Region" 

The agenda was as follows:

• 10:00 Understanding the new economic landscape (Will Roebuck)​
• 10:15 Leeds City Region Digital Framework (Sarah Bowes, Steve Moore)​
• 10:45 Brain storms (all)​
• 11:30 Refreshment stop ​
• 11.40 Calming the storms – key observations (all)
• 12.20 Making rain - action stations (Will Roebuck/Valda Smits)​
• 12.30 Filling station - working business lunch.

I did not count them, but I estimate that there were over 30 individuals in the room seated around 5 or 6 tables each of which had a label.  Mine was "Infrastructure" and our table included representatives from Kirklees MDC, a local dairy products company, a retired gentleman who ran a coding club, a lady who ran a local community service organization and me. The labels of the other tables were "Tech", "Skills", "Traditional Business" and so on.

Will gave a full presentation and Sarah a shorter one.  Steve started to speak about funding and the various schemes that were available through the local authority and the LEP. He was immediately challenged by a member of the audience who complained that none of them was available to him or his business. Happily, he said he had obtained funding elsewhere.  A lively exchange followed which was ended when Will asked each of the tables to consider individually the questions that had been out to us.

After a lot of discussion each table nominated a foreman who read out its conclusions all of which seemed very pertinent to me.  We did not really get round to the "Calming storms" or "Making rain" discussions as such but I am not sure that matters.   I understand that Pennine Cloud will refer to our brainstorming in planning an industrial strategy for our area.   This will necessarily be a private sector initiative led by Will and Valda but there is nothing inherently wrong with that.

The only discussion of intellectual property was on the legal protection of big data.  However, I can foresee plenty of inventions and other intellectual assets resulting from this initiative with which I should be glad to assist.   Anyone wishing to discuss this article should call me on 020 7404 5252 or send me a message through my contact form.