Leading Labor MPs Jonathan Reynolds and Chi Onwurah visited Imperial this week to see research on medical innovation and student entrepreneurship.
Presented by Professor Mary Ryan, Vice-Provost (Research and Enterprise), Jonathan Reynolds MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Enterprise, Energy and Industrial Strategy, and Chi Onwurah MP, Shadow Minister for Science, Research and Innovation, heard about Imperial’s world-class teaching and research and the positive impact this has on local communities and across the UK. Professor Ryan also stressed the importance of the UK association for Horizon Europe through its prestige, value and expertise, and the need for parliamentarians to continue to push for the association.
Professor Ferdinando Rodriguez y Baena showed Mr Reynolds and Mrs Onwurah the Hamlyn Center, which develops effective and accessible health technologies. He explained how the Center is at the forefront of research in imaging, sensing and robotics technologies to address healthcare challenges. Mr. Reynolds and Ms. Onwurah also met with PhD and postdoctoral students who presented their research, including flexible and smart implants to restore hearing and micro- and nano-robotics for targeted drug delivery for hard-to-reach organs. .
Mr. Reynolds and Ms. Onwurah then visited the Enterprise Lab to learn more about how Imperial is inspiring the next generation of innovative students and entrepreneurs. Ben Mumby-Croft, Director of the Enterprise Lab, explained how the Lab supports students through competitions, speaker events, hackathons, skills seminars, and access to expert mentors.
Dr Michael Simpson, a former graduate student at Imperial and founder of Nottingham-based green energy storage start-up Cheesecake Energy, provided an overview of the company. The company is developing the world’s greenest energy storage technology, reducing medium and long-life energy storage costs and transforming renewable energy sources such as wind and solar into reliable, on-demand power. The company works with customers across the UK to reduce energy costs and meet decarbonisation goals. Dr. Simpson also explained how he benefited from the support of the Enterprise Lab, taking part in the laboratory’s pre-accelerator program, Venture Catalyst Challenge and Imperial Venture Mentoring Scheme. The firm then successfully secured substantial investments from the Imperial College Innovation Fund.
Jonathan Reynolds MP said, “It was a pleasure to visit Imperial’s South Kensington Campus and learn about how the College is a leader in innovation and entrepreneurship through the Enterprise Lab and the White City campus. It was also great to see how Imperial supports students and nurtures their entrepreneurial spirit from idea to implementation. “
Speaking after the visit, Chi Onwurah MP said: “I was delighted to see firsthand the innovative technologies developed by Imperial’s world-class research teams to address global health challenges and hear the support provided to students and staff at the same. way to develop cutting edge technology startups “.
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Nazza Ahmed
Office of the President
Lisa Bungeroth
Office of the President