Cardiff at the frontier of innovation

Examples of the impact of research, creativity, innovation and curiosity in driving growth, improving healthcare and advancing society will be part of a showcase Cardiff University festival.

Taking place on Thursday October 2nd 2014, the Innovation Fast Forward Festival is a one-day event that will promote innovation and entrepreneurship and provide a platform to introduce the University's ambitious Cardiff Innovation System which will act as a catalyst for the Welsh economy.

A series of inspiring talks from student and alumni entrepreneurs will bring to life the importance of business start-ups while leading Cardiff academics and industry partners will demonstrate the translation of research into policy, practice and spin-outs in all areas of society.

Speakers at the event include:

• Claire Morsman, a Cardiff graduate who founded Morsbags, a not-for-profit sociable guerrilla bagging movement that has made some 154,942 reusable bags, replacing more than 80 million plastic carrier bags.
• Dr Katherine Shelton of the University's School of Psychology and Sam Austin of Welsh charity Llamau who will talk about a unique knowledge transfer project that has helped improve mental health services for vulnerable young homeless people.
• Dr Neil Warren, Asalus' Chief Technology Officer and Director of the Wales Institute for Minimal Access Therapy and Dr Dominic Griffiths, Managing Director of Asalus who developed Ultravision, an innovative new product for removing smoke created in minimally invasive surgery.

Guests will also have a unique opportunity to hear from and question Graham Richards CBE, Professor of Chemistry at Oxford University, founder of Oxford Molecular Ltd and co-founder of ISIS Innovations.

A thought-provoking debate chaired by Adam Price, Public Innovation Lead (Wales) for NESTA will challenge guests to consider how innovation can best help raise the profile of Wales and the UK abroad. The panellists are:

• Professor Alan Hughes, Margaret Thatcher Professor of Enterprise Studies (Emeritus) at the Judge Business School and a Life Fellow of Sidney Sussex College at the University of Cambridge where he is also Director of the UK Innovation Research Centre.
• Professor Robert Huggins, Professor of Economic Geography at Cardiff University's School of Planning and Geography.
• Ceri Delemore, a partner at Geldards Law firm who advises on all aspects of commercial law with particular expertise in information technology, intellectual property and public procurement.
• David Rosser, Welsh Government Director of Innovation who is responsible for taking forward the Department for the Economy, Science and Transport's Innovation Strategy.

The festival will conclude with an exclusive plenary session from Cardiff's Vice-Chancellor, Professor Colin Riordan and First Minister Carwyn Jones in which Professor Riordan will introduce the University's ambitious plans and capital developments around innovation, which will see the University become a magnet for enterprise, innovation and creativity for the City Region and Wales.

The Innovation Fast Forward Festival takes place between 9am-5pm on Thursday 2nd October 2014 in the University's Hadyn Ellis building. The festival is free to attend, and will also include refreshments and lunch. Places must be reserved here.