About the event
On the 17th October, the 2024 Convention for the Western Gateway will bring together businesses, academics, Government and local leaders from across the UK to discuss how we can together develop an economy fit for the future.
Led by the Western Gateway Partnership, the event will highlight the potential of South Wales and Western England to lead the way globally in creating sustainable economic growth. This Convention will launch the Western Gateway’s “Plan for Sustainable Growth” for the area to lay out how both areas can lead the way in the UK creating new opportunities and powering a national effort to reach Net Zero.
This convention will look at:
- Cyber and Technology – how can the area’s innovation be taken to the next level?
- Net Zero – how can we ensure that low carbon energy powers our ambitions?
- Connectivity – how to connect our communities and our economic clusters nationally and internationally to drive innovation and unlock productivity?
- Finance – how we can bring more investment to the area?
- Nature – how do we enhance our natural habitats for future generations while creating sustainable economic growth?
With a highly trained workforce, better economic growth than the rest of the South West and Wales, and world leading innovation, the area has huge potential to deliver. With space for 750 business, academic and local leaders, this is your opportunity to understand how you can play a part in a future economy. The Convention will feature a display of the best that the area has to offer, with leading innovation and most exciting project taking part in an exhibition to demonstrate the strengths of the area.
Agenda
09:00 A roundtable with the Crown Estate: infrastructure and supply chain requirements for floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea (Invite only) Sponsored by Crown Estate
10:00 Chair address – Sarah Williams-Gardener, Chair of the Western Gateway
10:15-11:00 Opening speeches from Ministers (Welsh/UK) – describing how the Government will support business and the Western Gateway.
- Dame Nia Griffiths MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales
- Rebecca Evans MS, Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning for the Welsh Government
- Nathan Sanders, Managing Director at SSE Energy Systems
11:25-12:25 Leaders and business, roundtable discussion drawing out examples of how this vision could look in practice across the area.
- Ralph Windeatt, Head of Business Development at AB Ports
- Cllr Mary-Anne Brocklesby, Chair of Cardiff Capital Region
- Zoe Metcalfe, Client Director for Local and Central Government for Atkins Realis
- Ben Allwright, Chief Executive at Ogi
- Prof Philip Taylor, Vice-Chancellor at the University of Bath
Lunch
13:30-14:30 – Cyber & Technology, sponsored by Brown Jacobson & Ogi
- Ben Shorrock, Techspark
- Leanne Connor, Business Development Manager at Thales
- Catherine Hadfield, Senior lead on Clusters at Plexal
- Ben Allwright, Chief Executive at Ogi
- Browne Jacobson speaker
- Academic Speaker
- Roger Whittaker, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research, Innovation and Enterprise, Professor of Collective Intelligence, Cardiff University
13:30-14:30 Green Energy, sponsored by AB Ports
- Matt Hindle, Head of Net Zero and Sustainability at Wales and West Utilities
- Gwen Parry-Jones, Chief Executive for Great British Nuclear
- Bridget Hartley, Head of Regional Energy Strategic Planning at NESO
- Prof Xiaohong Li, Co-director of GW-SHIFT, University of Exeter
- Ralph Windeatt, Head of Business Development at AB Ports
- Chair, Cllr Rob Stewart, Leader of Swansea Council
13:30-14:30 – Connectivity, sponsored by the Western Gateway
- Tom Pierpoint, Commercial Development Director, Great Western Railway (GWR)
- Marie Daly, Transport for Wales
- Dave Lees, Chief Executive at Bristol Airport
- Chair Cllr Mike Bell, Leader of North Somerset Council
- Llewelyn Morgan, Head of Innovation at Systra
- Dr Ges Rosenberg, Research Fellow, School of Electrical, Electronic and Mechanical Engineering, University of Bristol
Coffee Break
15:00-16:00 – Investment, sponsored by Cardiff Capital Region
- Jody Table-Porter, Director of UK and Regional Funds at British Business Bank
- Rhian Elston, Investment Director at the Development Bank of Wales Ed Rowberry, Chief Executive at BBRC
- Ed Rowberry, Chief Executive at BBRC
- Marty Reid, Set Squared
- Dr Xiaohan Xue, Principal Investigator GW4 Sustainable Finance Network, University of Bath
- Chair, Kellie Beirne, Chief Executive at Cardiff Capital Region
15:00-16:00 – Nature, sponsored by Atkins Realis
- Michael Copleston, Director of RSPB England
- Jenny Knight, Chief Executive for Stump up for Trees
- Simon Crichton, Head of Nature, Food and Resources at Triodos Bank
- Christian Cadwallader, Chief Executive of CCR Energy
- Katherine Knight, Director of Intelligent Health
- Chair – Zoe Metcalfe, Client Director for Local and Central Government for Atkins Realis
15:00-16:00 – Meet the Severn Estuary Commission
- Co-chair, Cllr Tony Dyer – Leader of Bristol City Council and Board Member of Western Gateway
- Co-chair, Cllr Dimitri Batrouni – Leader of Newport City Council and Board Member of Western Gateway
- Dr Andrew Garrad CBE FREng – Chair of the Severn Estuary Commission
- Sue Barr – Chair of the UK Marine Energy Council and Severn Estuary Commissioner
- Mike Dobson – New Energies Portfolio Manager at The Crown Estate
16.00-16.30 – Drinks Reception
Join us for a drink and the final chance to tour our wonderful exhibitors; hear a short closing address and a take the opportunity to network with speakers and contacts from the day.
Our Sponsors
