Welsh Government Trade Mission to MIT Boston, Massachusetts – ‘Start-ups and Entrepreneurial Ecosystems’

Director of the Rhanbarth Research Centre, Professor Rosalind Jones (Roz Jones) represented Bangor University on a weeks’ Welsh Government Trade Mission to Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Boston recently. Welsh Government have been investing in a long-term partnership with MIT who host an Industrial Liaison Partner (ILP) program for overseas countries. As part of this visit which focussed on ‘Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Development’ attendees took part in a Start-Up and Entrepreneurial Ecosystem conference open to entrepreneurs, investors and other stakeholders and, engaged in a packed program of visits to Research and Innovation Centres, focussing on Arts, Sciences and Technology innovations. Campus visits included the Sloane Management School and the group got to meet successful entrepreneurs and how entrepreneurship education is developed alongside arts, science and technology degree programs.  The delegation included academic representatives from each of the Welsh Universities, with Roz flying out from Manchester with Aberystwyth’s Professor Iain Donnison, Director of the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS) and Dr Robert Bolam, Reader in Aeronautical Engineering from Wrexham University with Thom Webb, Director for the North of England and Wales from Newable, an expert in investment in growth firms, trading and exporting. Other colleagues flying out from London met up in Boston on arrival. The trip proved to be a great opportunity to lay foundations to support the North Wales levelling up agenda, connecting with  North West, West and North East Wales Universities with those in Mid and South Wales along with Business in Focus, Holly Savage and Business Wales colleagues, Cwpas Cooperative social enterprise colleagues based in South Wales, who also work across Wales and Anglesey. The delegation also included Welsh Government representation including Abigail Phillips, Head of Regional Operations at Welsh Assembly Government, Carys Roberts, Head of Entrepreneurship & Business Wales, and Lewis Dean from the Welsh Innovation Network (WIN). The delegation also had a private meeting with the British Consulate in Boston and made fruitful links for future exporting opportunities in science and technology, and also for the promoting of Wales as a destination and for export of high quality locally produced products such as food and drink.