The chair will give words of welcome and an introduction to plenary speakers and format of the day.

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Sponsored by Natwest

Hear about the business and personal story of Amrit Chandan and learn about how he can help leaders build companies that outlast them. Amrit speaks candidly about building in uncertainty, protecting founder resilience, and creating knowledge infrastructure that compounds over time rather than disappearing with people.

Ambitious entrepreneurs can make the most of innovation ecosystems by strategically engaging with experts and partners who can support building commercially viable and scalable businesses.

Hear how local businesses have benefited from collaborations and new markets through engaging with Horizon Europe and other European Programmes. Discover how the region's success in reaching the final of 2024 EU Capital of Innovation competition will open numerous avenues for the WM innovation stakeholders to build fruitful new partnerships in Europe.

Approaching green innovation as a strategic opportunity can unlock new pathways for innovation and growth. This shift requires rethinking how leaders, teams and supply chains respond to emerging opportunities.

To thrive in the digital age, leaders need to embrace new ways of thinking. They need to move beyond tools to embed digital technology into everyday moments and build cultures where knowledge flows, decisions improve, and people and processes continuously learn.

This unconference session invites participants to join in an open conversation where funders and entrepreneurs unpack the realities of aligning vision, expectations and relationship‑building.

In this fireside chat business leaders will discuss how growth accelerates when leadership is open, adaptive and collaborative. And how using external expertise, partnerships and fractional management can drive significant progress.

The Grand Finale of the day when the finalists, who have made it through the earlier heats of the Pitch Up competition, pitch their businesses and YOU get to decide the final winner for 2026!