UK SCIENCE PARK ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE ATTRACTS RECORD NUMBERS

A record number of delegates attended the 2019 UK Science Park Association (UKSPA) conference, held at Culham Science Centre near Abingdon

More than 200 delegates from across the UK converged on the home of the UK’s fusion energy programme.

The popularity of the conference revealed the growing interest in the science and innovation sector and the determination of members of the UK Science Park Association to share best practice more widely.

Owned and managed by the UK Atomic Energy Authority, Culham Science Centre sits in one of the most successful science locations in the country. It is a partner in Science Vale UK, along with other public and private sector organisations, to promote southern Oxfordshire as a global hotspot for scientific and technology enterprise and innovation.

Jim Duvall, the Association’s Executive Director, said: “We are delighted with the number of delegates at this year’s conference.

“UKSPA events are a good forum for science park managers to share best practice, and the increase in our association’s membership shows the wider interest being shown in the future of the science and innovation sector.”

Speakers at the two-day conference included Ian Chapman, Chief Executive at the UK Atomic Energy

“The increase in our association’s membership shows the wider interest being shown in the future of the science and innovation sector”

Authority (UKAEA), who gave an overview of the UK’s fusion ambitions, Rob Buckingham, Director of UKAEA and Remote Access in Challenging Environments (RACE), Tim Bestwick, Director of Business and Innovation at UKAEA and Ahmed Goga, Director of Strategy and Programmes at Oxfordshire’s Local Enterprise Partnership.