A headset to calm students before an exam, a smart new way to repair rusty oil rig pipes and a urine test for bladder cancers are among the regional innovations that will be taking centre stage at VentureFest North East.
Organisers of the major innovation event launched a search over the summer with experts from the North East BIC to uncover the latest products, services and big ideas from the area.
After being inundated with applications, a series have now been selected and will be given a platform to demonstrate their ideas to an audience of 700 businesses, investors, researchers and experts during the event’s Innovation Showcase on November 14 at St James’ Park.
Delegates at the event will be able to see the innovations for themselves including GoCalm, an app developed by national awarding and qualification organisation NCFE to help students reduce stress before sitting an exam.
Hebburn-based engineering solutions company TSG Marine will demonstrate its brand new product TSG/Pipe Repair with SPS that allows pipe repairs to be made on oil and gas rigs without shutting them down.
Arquer Diagnostics, based at the North East BIC in Sunderland, will display ADXBLADDER – a urine test to detect bladder cancers that are currently missed and has the potential to cut the number of invasive surgeries required in the future.
Elizabeth Shaw, Innovation Manager at the North East BIC, said: “People sometimes think the North East isn’t innovative at all, when in fact it is! We aren’t very good at shouting about all the home grown innovative businesses and the Innovation Showcase sets out to address this by showing the diversity of innovation within all kinds of sectors through the North East.
“The quality of the applications we received for the showcase is testament to the level of innovation that is taking place every day around the region. We can’t wait for everyone attending VentureFest to have the chance meet the innovators in person on November 14 and to interact with the big ideas close up.”
VentureFest North East 2017 is all about bringing together people from different business sectors to learn from each other and use innovation to improve their competitiveness and profitability. Registrations are now open at venturefestnortheast.co.uk
VentureFest North East is part of the wider Innovation SuperNetwork programme, developed with around 50 partner organisations to support innovation in the North East. Led by the VentureFest North East team, the SuperNetwork is supported by the North East LEP, Northumbrian Water Group, North East BIC and Innovate UK, with part-funding from the European Regional Development Fund.
