Cutting-edge technology on display at the University of Warwick’s innovation festival
As part of its milestone 60th Anniversary celebrations, the University of Warwick hosted its inaugural Festival of Innovation and Grassroots Growth Summit at Warwick Arts Centre on Monday 27 January.
The event attracted over 1200 attendees, including students, staff, entrepreneurs, industry leaders, and local residents, all keen to discover Warwick’s latest advancements in technology.
The festival showcased a range of cutting-edge projects and technological breakthroughs. Among these was an Alzheimer’s taste-test screening, designed to detect early signs of the disease. Visitors also spotted the Waste2Race Le Mans Prototype racing car – a revolutionary vehicle powered by sewage, demonstrating bold new approaches to sustainable energy.
An immersive gaming and scent experience captivated audiences, while a high-tech childbirth simulator showcased advancements in medical training. Attendees also explored the UK vegetable gene bank, which preserves plant biodiversity, and cutting-edge agricultural robots, which could shape the future of farming.
David Plumb, Chief Innovation Officer at Warwick, expressed his excitement at this rare opportunity to present a range of ground-breaking ideas to the public.
Innovation is at the core of what we do at The University of Warwick, and so often as innovators, our time at work will be spent isolated in labs. Therefore, to be able to celebrate some of this work yesterday, together at the Festival of Innovation, was so exciting
David Plumb, Chief Innovation Officer at Warwick
He commented: “Innovation is at the core of what we do at The University of Warwick, and so often as innovators, our time at work will be spent isolated in labs. Therefore, to be able to celebrate some of this work yesterday, together at the Festival of Innovation, was so exciting.”
The event also featured insightful discussions led by influential business leaders and policymakers, including Darren Pire, Regulatory Programme Manager at NatWest, George Freeman MP, and Emma Jones, Founder of Enterprise Nation. They emphasised the critical role of collaboration between academia, business, and government in accelerating innovation.
The festival kicked off Warwick’s yearlong 60th anniversary celebrations, which also featured a Poetry Trail, Resonate Days Out and the return of in Pursuit of Repetitive Beats, a VR journey through Coventry’s rave culture. The celebrations are set to conclude in November with the Global Illuminations Light Festival.
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