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About the Innovation Summit
Our Innovation Summit provides researchers with a great opportunity to connect with the community, expand their network and build their entrepreneurship skills by bringing together inspiring guests, field-leading speakers and thought-provoking panellists.
This free, one-day event offers invaluable insights from industry leaders, networking opportunities with fellow innovators, and the chance to learn essential entrepreneurial skills.
Registrations are now open for our 2026 Innovation Summit.
When and where
Join us at the Science and Industry Museum, Manchester, on 3 November 2026.
Agenda and speakers
| Programme | |
|---|---|
| 08:30 – 09:15 | Registration |
| 09:15– 09:25 | Welcome from Cancer Research Horizons Tony Hickson, Cancer Research Horizons |
| 9:25-9:55 | Keynote session 1 Leading the next era of cancer innovation: Manchester's ecosystem for discovery, translation and patient impact Chair: Tony Hickson, Cancer Research Horizons Speaker: Samra Turajlić, Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute |
| 9:55– 10:25 | Keynote session 2 Creating the conditions for innovation to thrive: from world-class science to growth and impact Chair: Tony Hickson, Cancer Research Horizons Speaker: Kath MacKay, Innovate UK, UKRI |
| 10:25– 11:10 | Panel 1 Chair: Dace Dimza-Jones, Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade and GM Business Growth Hub
Panellists:
|
| 11:10-11:40 | Refreshment break and networking |
| 11:40 –12:25 | Panel 2 Chair: Anji Miller, LifeArc
Panellists:
|
| 12:25 – 13:10 | Panel 3 Chair: Lotus Qi, Capital Enterprise Panellists:
|
| 13:10– 14:45 | Lunch Innovation Ecosystem Marketplace and networking Organisations from across the innovation ecosystem will be onsite to engage with attendees, share expertise, and showcase the support they offer. Exhibitors:
|
| 13:45-14:15 | Optional lunchtime session |
| 14:45-15:30 | Panel 4 Chair: Ewelina Rozycka-Burns, University of Manchester Innovation Factory Panellists:
|
| 15:30- 16:15 | Fireside chat Chair: Simon Boulton, The Francis Crick Institute | Cancer Research UK Panellists:
|
| 16:15-16:30 | Closing remarks Alessia Errico, Associate Director, Search and Evaluation and Entrepreneurial Programmes Lead, Cancer Research Horizons |
| 16:30-18:00 | Networking refreshments |
Sponsors and marketplace exhibitors
Appleyard Lees
Sponsor
A leading intellectual property law firm, Appleyard Lees supports a broad range of IP owners and creators, including in-house teams, R&D specialists, owner-managers and branding professionals. In addition to their catalogue of multinational clients, Appleyard Lees have played an important role in the growth of start-up businesses.
Cancer Tech Accelerator
Exhibitor
The Cancer Tech Accelerator supports innovative technologies that can advance the early detection, diagnosis, monitoring or treatment of cancer. The programme provides projects with access to funding, mentorship, technical expertise, regulatory guidance and other resources that can help them validate their technologies, conduct clinical trials and bring their products to market faster.
CancerTools.org
Exhibitor
CancerTools is a unique non-profit organisation, part of Cancer Research UK, dedicated to accelerating cancer research by connecting scientists worldwide with peer-validated cancer research materials and reagents. Through their curated catalogue, scientists can access high-quality, translationally relevant research products, while researchers can also deposit their own innovations to make them globally available. By combining scientific expertise, infrastructure, and global reach, we help turn individual discoveries into wider impact for the cancer research community.
University of Manchester Innovation Factory
Exhibitor
The Innovation Factory is the University of Manchester's dedicated technology transfer office, working with researchers to turn world-leading discoveries into commercial opportunities with real-world impact. The team supports academics from the earliest stages of commercialisation, helping identify promising ideas, protect intellectual property and determine the most appropriate route to market.
Sponsorship opportunities
Interested in sponsoring the 2026 edition of our Innovation Summit? Take a look at our sponsorship opportunities and contact us for a confidential discussion.
Past editions
The 2025 edition of our Summit took place at The Royal Institution in London, on 18 November.
Learn more about the event and access the agenda, programme and session recordings.
Our Innovation Summit 2024 took place at The Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh on 12 November 2024.
We held the 2023 edition of our Innovation Summit at the Royal Society of Medicine, London.
Learn more about the event, including the day's agenda and speakers.
Want to find out more about our entrepreneurial community?
Find out more about the Innovation Summit and how to get involved.