We commit today!
“We commit today” was the message from delegates attending SPark in the Science City at HP Labs yesterday.
More than 130 attendees from across the city region listened as key speakers Lord Sainsbury, Hermann Hauser and Professor Eric Thomas stressed the strength of science and innovation in Bristol and the surrounding region. Delegates were also given a sneak preview of what SPark will look like in 18 months time - read more about this on our news pages.
Professor Eric Thomas, Vice-Chancellor at the University of Bristol and Chair of Science City Bristol, welcomed delegates and stressed that “we are uniquely advantaged in this city region – in both the make-up of the industry and the strength of the academic institutions.” Furthermore, “the combined research power of the universities of Bristol, Bath and the West of England (UWE) make us the third most powerful research cluster in the land”.
Lord Sainsbury, author of the 2007 Sainsbury Review of Science and Innovation claimed that Bristol was “one of the most interesting parts of the country” and that when measuring success via VC-funding going into local university spin-outs, “Bristol stands up well in comparisons with cities around the world and even Stanford, USA” which sets the benchmark.
Hermann Hauser announced “Bristol is, in my opinion, as much as a phenomenon as Cambridge” and his opinion is an valuable one – not only is he one of the UK’s leading venture capitalists, but he is also a co-founder of the Cambridge Network and has been instrumental in developing the ‘Cambridge Phenomenon’.
Rounding up the day, Johnny Ball, science enthusiast and former TV presenter, urged us all to take control of our future: “it’s the positive attitude to science we must get across to kids. We keep telling them the world is doomed, but if 1 in 20 of them becomes a scientist and changes things from the top, then our problems can be solved.”
Delegates, leading individuals from business, universities and the public sector, were united in their ambition to strengthen the linkages around Bristol, to further develop the innovation eco-system, to enthuse our young people about science and to use science and technology to address some of our more challenging local issues. There was also unanimous enthusiasm to rally behind the Science City designation and shout about the “fabulousness” of this city region across the globe.
We commit today to turning this ambition and enthusiasm into reality.
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