On Tuesday 22^nd October, the three Universities of Medway joined together in collaboration to support local businesses with a free conference that aimed to drive economic growth and innovation in the region.

The conference was held at the Rochester Corn Exchange, with an introduction from Lauren Edwards, MP for Rochester and Strood.

The Medway Business and Innovation Conference is part of the One Medway Charter, which was signed last summer by local organisations. These include Medway Council and the Universities at Medway, Canterbury Christ Church University, University of Kent and University of Greenwich, who work together to deliver programmes that will benefit the people and communities of Medway.

The conference gave local businesses the opportunity to discover how to work with the universities and unlock their expertise to support business growth, gain advice on funding streams and hear insights from industry experts.

The attendees heard from two keynote speakers; founder of Rhokett, Peter Le Voir, and Director of Intelligent Linking, Roger Williams, who both shared their business ambitions and insights.

Delegates also had the chance to pick-and-choose from a series of workshops led by CCCU academic experts on themes of:

• enhancing employee skills and workforce planning for the future
• developing and bringing competitive products to the market
• eco-friendly practices that benefit the environment and make your business more competitive and resilient
• using digital technologies for growth and efficiency
• building capacity to grow your business.

If you were inspired by the Medway Business and Innovation Conference and/or would like to attend similar events in the future, please sign up to our mailing list here: https://www.canterbury.ac.uk/business/contact