With a diverse line-up of talks and practical demonstrations from industry leaders, the day encouraged South-West businesses to work together to solve common problems.
Dr. Alison Vincent, former chief information security officer for HSBC, delivered the keynote address which covered issues such as changing demographics, globalisation versus nationalism, and the future of technology. Workshops on diverse topics ranging from artificial intelligence, to sustainability-by-design, made for a valuable and stimulating day.
“The focus of this year’s conference was on mega-trends and grand challenges,” explained Ben Rhodes, deputy regional director for South-West England at the CBI. “The conference addressed issues such as population growth, the aging population, cutting carbon and resource management, into a form that UK industries can understand, and perhaps take advantage of. Renishaw was a perfect host for this event as it truly embodies the innovation and research and development agenda.”
“Innovation is one of Renishaw’s core values and is absolutely essential to its business model,” added Chris Pockett, head of communications at Renishaw. “Since being founded on the invention of the touch-trigger probe over 45 years ago, the company has innovated in a diverse range of sectors, from metal 3D printing to surgical robotics. By bringing businesses together, events like this stimulate discussion and open up possibilities for collaboration.”
Renishaw is dedicated to continued innovation, investing up to 18% of annual sales into R&D, the majority of which is performed in the UK.
Renishaw has been involved in a number of leading projects, such as the development of a new drug delivery system for neurological diseases, which has been used in Parkinson’s trials.
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