Pim van Baarsen
Technology giants BAE Systems and Amazon Web Services have outlined how they are looking at ways to work with the innovative businesses based within the Silverstone Technology Cluster.
Both organisations were among the main speakers at the STC’s annual conference, which attracted senior figures from advanced engineering and manufacturing, electronics and software development and commerce. The cluster’s chief executive Pim van Baarsen and chair Roz Bird said the conference, held at Horwood House near Milton Keynes, highlighted “an even greater appetite to innovate” from its members and industry’s desire to explore opportunities with those businesses.
The conference also included a lively session on the Oxford to Cambridge Arc ‘Super Cluster’, linking STC with other clusters along the growth corridor.
Mr van Baarsen said: “The presentations from AWS, BAE Systems and the Super Cluster have really got people excited. The STC has continued to experience growth even during the pandemic, with the number of organisations coming to engage with us increasing all the time.”
Life science membership organisation OneNucleus joined Cambridge Network, Oxford innovation, Oxfordshire Greentech and MKAI among the presenters.
Ms Bird said: “The reason the Silverstone Technology Cluster exists is to provide opportunities for our members to grow their business and I believe we really delivered on that promise at the conference. “People have talked to me about the great atmosphere on the day and how the conference helped to celebrate the innovation and can-do attitude that the region has to offer.”
The conference was held in association with founding STC member MEPC Silverstone Park. Guests included business and scale-up experts Shai Vyakarnam and Tony Hart, and Andrew Lewer, MP for Northampton South.
Mr van Baarsen said: “We listen to our membership all the time and can sense after the conference there is an even greater hunger to innovate. They really can see more potentially very rewarding opportunities opening for them.”