£249.00 (Excl. VAT)

Responding to the London Growth Plan, the Innovation Summit 2025 will address strategies for inclusive growth in innovation and the role of skills and entrepreneurship.

The London Growth Plan’s mission to be a city that is prospering, fairer and greener will be driven by its emerging strengths in innovation.

NLA’s second Innovation Summit will explore the evolving landscape of the innovation economy across London. It will address how the innovation sector can respond to the shifts of London’s next cycle of reinvention and meet the mission of the newly launched London Growth Plan as it focuses on opportunities for its people through place-based approaches and inclusive physical infrastructure.

How can collaborative strategies in innovation drive London's growth? How can we promote skills-based opportunities that nurture entrepreneurship and support the growth of the innovation sector?

Drawing on the activity of leading innovation districts in London, this summit will show how the physical infrastructure of these districts will be crucial to deliver accessible opportunities and nurture entrepreneurship in the innovation sector. This summit will also explore opportunities for public-private partnerships in innovation that can accelerate growth.

As centres for innovation continue to evolve, placemaking strategies are also needed to transform them into dynamic environments that foster collaboration. This Summit will highlight best practice on developing great, inclusive places that attract talent, drive innovation, and create opportunities for London and beyond.

Hosted in the Livery Hall within the Guildhall complex, the NLA Innovation Summit will be a key moment to bring distinguished leaders across local government and the built environment together to influence the future of innovation in London. It is a chance to exchange insights on best practice and engage in meaningful discussions about collaborative efforts to address the most pressing urban issues.

Programme

08:30
Registration and Breakfast

Session One: Unlocking Innovation with the London Growth Plan

09:00
Welcome from Chair
Catherine Staniland, Director, NLA

09:05
Keynote Speaker: London as a Global Hub of Innovation
Hugh Brady, President, Imperial College London

09:20
Key Learnings from the London Growth Plan
Laura Citron OBE, CEO, London & Partners

09:30
The Plan's impact on life sciences, tech and AI
Dr Angela Kukula, CEO, MedCity

09:40
Panel discussion and Q&A
Speakers above, plus:
Rob Beacroft, Co-Founder, Lateral
Tom Bailey, Strategy Director (Innovation Ecosystems), Imperial College London

10:15
Break

Session Two: Cultivating skills and creating opportunities: In Conversation

10:45
Welcome from Chair

Emma Frost, Chair, UK Innovation Districts Group

10:48
In Conversation
Nathan Davies, Senior Manager, Economic Strategy and Innovation, Greater London Authority
Mairi Dillon, Associate Director, Science Ecosystem, Canary Wharf Group
Caroline Wilson, Director of Inclusive Economy and Jobs, London Borough of Islington

11:10
Closing comments from Chair
Emma Frost, Chair, UK Innovation Districts Group

11:15
Break

Session Three: Creating inclusive places

11:30
Welcome from Chair
Elie Gamburg, Design Principal, KPF and chair of NLA Expert Panel on Innovation Districts

11:35
Developing the public realm to create inclusive innovation spaces
Sarah Cary, Chief Development Officer (White City Campus), Imperial College London

11:45
Fostering collaboration in placemaking
Ating Liu, Head of London Cancer Hub Capital Programme, LB Sutton
Joss Taylor, Head of Activation, Populate

12:00
Creating centres of innovation for the future
Matt Flood, Development Director, Head of Commercial Development, Related Argent

12:10
Panel discussion and Q&A
Speakers above, plus:
Stafford Critchlow, Director, WilkinsonEyre
Peter Runacres, Head of Urban Futures, Earls Court Development Company

12:45
Closing Remarks
Catherine Staniland, Director, NLA

12:50
Networking

13:30
End