Green Growth in the Western Gateway: A Powerhouse Conference

On Tuesday 8 March we held our Partnership’s inaugural conference, Green Growth in the Western Gateway. Sponsored by Deloitte, almost 300 people joined us from both sides of the Severn.

The event covered a broad range of topics and speakers discussing how the partnership can help create a greener, fairer future.

Read the partnership's director blog reflecting on the successes of the day, check out the agenda and our photos from the day below.

Morning session

Welcome

Western Gateway Opening Remarks

Katherine Bennett CBE, Chair of the Western Gateway Partnership

Keynote address

Video message from the Secretary of State, UK Government

Plenary session: Levelling Up the Western Gateway

David Warburton, Land Director at Urban Splash

Joanna Rowelle, Director for Integrated City Planning at Arup

Mayor Marvin Rees, Bristol City Council

Cllr Huw Thomas, Leader of Cardiff City Council

Break

Meet the Western Gateway partnership

Cllr Jane Mudd, Vice-Chair of the Western Gateway Partnership and Leader of Newport City Council,

Cllr Toby Savage, Vice-Chair of the Western Gateway Partnership and Leader of South Gloucestershire Council,

Prof. Hugh Brady, Board Member of the Western Gateway Partnership and Vice Chancellor at the University of Bristol,

Ian Edwards, Board Member of the Western Gateway Partnership and Chief Executive of ICC Wales and the Celtic Manor

Plenary session: Investing in a green innovation powerhouse

Catherine Lewis La Torre, CEO of the British Business Bank

Simon Gibson CBE, CEO of the Wesley Clover Wales

Richard Deakin, Innovate UK Challenge Director for Low Cost Nuclear

Keynote

Live address from Vaughan Gething MS, Minister for the Economy and Transport of Wales

Lunch

Afternoon session

Plenary Session: A green energy super-cluster

Joanna Pontin, Vice President of DST Innovation

Prof. Phil Taylor, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research and Enterprise at University of Bristol

Greg Mothersdale, Producer at Clwstwr

Parallel Break-out Sessions

Hydrogen economy

An opportunity to shape the Western Gateway’s work to position the area as a leading Hydrogen economy

Facilitator: Dr Jo Jenkinson, Director, GW4 Alliance

Speakers include:

Paddy Bradley, Chief Executive, Swindon and Wiltshire LEP

Dave Richardson, Project Director, Costain

Prof Xiaohong Li, Professor of Energy Storage

Innovation Clusters

How clusters across our area are driving innovation and powering our path to net zero, and what more could be done to unlock further growth in some of the UK’s highest value-add sectors.

Facilitator: Martyn Gregory, Senior Partner, South West & Wales, Deloitte

Speakers include:

Andy Sellars, Chief Business Development Officer, CSA Catapult

Tim Atkins, Managing Director of Place and Growth, Cheltenham Borough Council

Sara Pepper, COO, Clwstwr

Ben Rhodes, Regional Director, SW, CBI

Scaling innovation

Discussion around how best innovation might be supported and scaled across the Western Gateway.

Facilitator: Dave Tansley, UK Vice Chair and Consulting Technology Partner, Deloitte

Speakers include:

Nigel Walker, Innovate UK, Deputy Director, Lending & Investors Partnerships

Sarah Williams-Gardener, FinTech Wales, CEO

Simon Bond, SetSquared, Innovation Director

British Business Bank, Confirmed as participating. Selecting speaker.

Clean transport

Explored a future, decarbonised vision of how people and things move around our towns, cities and at our global gateways.

Facilitator: Mary Hewitt, Partner, Deloitte

Speakers include:

David Lees, CEO, Bristol Airport

Andrew Clarke, Group Head of Master Planning at Associated British Ports

Kellie Beirne, Director, Cardiff Capital Region

Tom Pierpoint, Business Development Director (Interim), Great Western Railway

Charlie Hamilton, Director, Deloitte

Fusion Energy

The Western Gateway is leading a bid to bring the UK’s first prototype fusion plant to the area. This group discussed why we believe Western Gateway provides the best home for the UK government’s STEP program and a globally significant green energy industry.

Facilitator: Andy Bates, Innovation Activist and Energy Sector Lead at Business West

Speakers include:

Leigh Hughes, Chair of the Cardiff Capital Region Skills Partnership

Leanne Connor, Business Manager, Thales Ebbw Vale

Cllr Mark Hawthorne, Leader of Gloucestershire County Council and Western Gateway Board Member

Prof. Phil Taylor, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research and Enterprise at University of Bristol

Break

Panel discussion: Feedback from Break-outs

Chair’s close and thank you

Katherine Bennett CBE, Chair of the Western Gateway Partnership