The Rt Hon Lord Mandelson and Lord Sugar have been confirmed as guest speakers at Innovate '09, the Technology Strategy Board's annual conference and exhibition on innovation.
Innovate '09: for Growth will be held on 13 October at the Business Design Centre, London. It follows last year's successful event, which attracted nearly 1,000 delegates from across the UK.
Rt Hon Lord Mandelson, secretary of state for business, innovation and skills, will speak on innovation in the current climate and its importance for future economic growth. Later, Lord Sugar, who was recently appointed as the Ggovernment's enterprise champion, will share his knowledge of innovation and entrepreneurship in business in an interview with journalist Natasha Kaplinsky, who will chair the event.
Business leaders speaking at Innovate '09 will focus on potential high growth areas for the UK such as life sciences, energy and low carbon technologies and the digital economy. Speakers will include Professor Gordon Murray, CEO and technical director of Gordon Murray Design; Nick Winser, CEO of National Grid, Dr. Ruth McKernan, chief scientific officer at Pfizer Regenerative Medicine and Sara Murray, founder of confused.com and Buddi Limited.
The Innovate '09 event aims to demonstrate the ideas and approaches that can lead to successful innovation, discuss future markets that will require innovative technology products and services, and look at how innovation now can help drive the UK economy in the future.
The event will also showcase a wide range of innovative products and services, and enable business delegates to meet innovators from a wide range of sectors and find information, contacts and support to help bring their ideas closer to commercial reality.
Iain Gray, chief executive of the Technology Strategy Board, said: "The Innovate event is growing each year, as we aim to inform business and the public sector about the opportunities which innovation can bring – and inspire them to act, both to drive economic prosperity and to address the big challenges of the coming years."
"It targets large and small businesses, high value/high growth companies, emerging sectors, creative industries, financial services and utilities, and academia and the public sector. Delegates gain more than just information, but the chance to input, interact, debate and discover new ideas and resources to drive innovation."
More information about the conference and ticket booking is available at http://www.innovate09.co.uk . There is an information hotline on 029 2069 4949.