The Invest in UK University R&D – Midlands Campaign will be attending Berlin Science Week, Falling Walls between 7th and 10th November 2025. As part of this mission we will:

• Celebrate and strengthen the connections between our institutions, German university partners, and key industrial stakeholders operating across both the UK and Germany.  
• Explore shared priorities for FP10 (particularly Pillar II), connect German alumni in key sectors and venture capital with our university investment opportunities. 
• Advance the role of universities in ‘sub-national diplomacy’ between cities/ States/ regions and form innovation bridges through partnership working with each other, industry and civic partners.  
• Explore alignment with emerging German-UK science and innovation collaboration.  

 

View the Mission Call

Falling Walls Science Summit is a leading international and intersectoral forum, held annuly in Berlin, that conves global leaders across science, industry, policy and media to explore scientific breakthroughs and break down barriers in science and innovation.  

The Falling Walls Science Summit 2025 will take place from 6th – 9th November 2025 at the Falling Walls Science House, Karl-Marx-Alle 34, 10178 Berlin. 

 

Get Involved

Please select a Mission Point of Contact for you institution and email invest@midlandsinnovation.org.uk to register for the weekly Mission Development meetings.

 

 

The Invest in UK University R&D – Midlands Campaign will return to SWITCH in Singapore this October 2025, building on the success of 2024’s inaugural visit. 

SWITCH is Singapore’s premiere science, innovation and technology event – attended by over 22,000 industry leaders, national governments and investors from all the world.  

The mission is supported by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), the British High Commission in Singapore, UKRI, Innovate UK, the West Midlands Growth Company. 

2025 is Singapore’s 60th anniversary, and this mission will also celebrate 60 years of UK-Singapore collaboration. 

 

View the Mission Call

The Singapore Week of Innovation and Technology (SWITCH) is Singapore’s flagship event for science, innovation, and technology. Held annually at Marina Bay Sands, SWITCH brings together global leaders from government, academia, research, investment, and industry to explore and advance the latest developments in tech and innovation. 

As a national milestone event, SWITCH serves as a platform for: 

• Major announcements and activations from Singaporean government agencies, research funders, and universities 

• International collaboration between countries, research agencies, and corporates 

• Slingshot Prize, Asia’s premier tech startup competition, which culminates at SWITCH (the campaign has secured up to 5 ‘fast track’ entries for Midlands spinouts) 

• Participation from global investors, multinational corporates, and innovation agencies 

SWITCH is co-organised by Enterprise Singapore and supported by a wide range of partners across sectors including advanced manufacturing, health and biomedical sciences, energy, AI, and future mobility. 

🔗 More information: www.switchsg.org 

 

Get Involved

Please select a Mission Point of Contact for you institution and email invest@midlandsinnovation.org.uk to register for the weekly Mission Development meetings.

 

 

The Invest in UK University R&D – Midlands Campaign will be running various activities as part of Birmingham Tech Week in 2025. 

The Birmingham Tech Week Mission is being scheduled to take place alongside the UK’s first ever Regional Investment Summit – West Midlands 2025, which will be hosted by Birmingham on 21st October and will attended by the UK Government’s most senior representatives as well international investors from across the world. 

View the Mission Call

Birmingham Tech Week is the UK’s largest regional tech festival — bringing together innovators, founders, investors, public sector leaders, and global partners and attracting over 8,000 attendees and featured 50+ curated events.

 

Get Involved

Please select a Mission Point of Contact for you institution and email invest@midlandsinnovation.org.uk to register for the weekly Mission Development meetings.

The Campaign will be leading a delegation to South Korea and Japan between 1st – 12th October 2025.

A series of activations will take place across both countries, with delegates encouraged to participate in the activities most aligned with their interests and expertise, as well as organising their own additions.  

This is a multi-sector, multi-market mission covering a number of large target conferences as well as critical diplomatic opportunities (including the Seoul Embassy, Kyoto Science and Technology in Society Forum, Osaka World Expo, BioJapan (Yokohama) and the Tokyo Embassy). 

View the Mission Call

 

 

UK-Japan Funding Opportunities

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-japan-science-and-innovation-funding-opportunities/uk-japan-science-and-innovation-funding-opportunities

 

Conferences

Science and Technology in Society forum is an annual conference held at the Kyoto International Conference Center, bringing together global leaders in academia, industry, government to discuss issues related to science and technology and their implications for society. 

The 22nd Annual Meeting will be held on October 5, 6 and 7, 2025 in Kyoto, Japan.

 

Osaka World Expo, an event that brings together people and innovations from around the world in an effort to address issues facing humankind on a global scale. 

The theme of the 2025 Expo is Designing Future Society for Our Lives. 184 days from April 13 to October 13, 2025. Venue: Yumeshima, Osaka, Japan.

 

BIOJapan 2025 is taking place at Pacifico in Yokohama with 700 exhibitors and 16K visitors. There are three main programs: The exhibition, seminars and partnering. 

This is Asia’s largest partnering event containing three exhibitions 

1. The world’s oldest biotechnology exhibition “BioJapan” 
2. “Regenerative Medicine JAPAN” accelerating and industrialising R&D in regenerative medicine

3.”health TECH JAPAN” covering digital technology and life science. 

 

 

Get Involved

Please select a Mission Point of Contact for you institution and email invest@midlandsinnovation.org.uk to register for the weekly Mission Development meetings.

 

 

The Campaign will be attending the 2025 Paris Airshow. In collaboration with the Midlands Aerospace Alliance (MAA), the Invest in UK University R&D Midlands Campaign will be: 

1. Bringing a delegation of Midlands University colleagues led by DfT Chief Scientific Advisor, Professor Sarah Sharples & DBT Chief Scientific Adviser, Professor Julia Sutcliffe to the Paris Airshow and convening a display pod and meeting point in the UK pavilion
2. Hosting a Midlands Universities VIP reception for alumni at the British Embassy.
3. Participating in the UK Paris Airshow reception at the British Ambassador’s Residence in Paris 

 

View the Mission Call

 

About Paris Airshow 2025

The 55^th International Paris Airshow, Le Bourget, Paris, France.

Monday 16^th – Sunday 22^nd June 2025.

For over a century, the International Paris Air Show at Le Bourget has been the prime meeting place for the global aerospace industry.

Each new edition promises to be a fascinating epic. From intrepid pioneers to cutting-edge technologies, this show is where innovation takes flight, dreams soar, and the future is shaped.

 

Get Involved

The Campaign will be working with the Midlands Engine Partnership, MAA, EMCCA, EMCA, DfT and DBT

Please select a Mission Point of Contact for you institution and email invest@midlandsinnovation.org.uk to register for the weekly Mission Development meetings.

 

 

Europe’s largest science park, Arden Cross Health Tech Campus and six investment zones are just some of the major capital investment propositions set to feature as part of the Invest in UK University R&D campaign’s next overseas mission to MIPIM in March.

The world’s leading global real estate event will provide a platform for a delegation of the region’s university leaders to engage with international investors and promote the campaign’s 17 major capital investment opportunities, with Midlands universities alone representing £13.5bn of investment with the potential to create 35,000 jobs.

Supported by the Midlands Engine, a series of events will offer opportunities for our academic partners to engage directly with investors. The ‘Universities as Drivers of Economic Growth’ reception – will feature keynote speaker Rt. Hon. Greg Clark – Executive Chair of the Warwick Innovation District at the University of Warwick- and many more. This will be followed by the ‘Building for Innovation-led Growth’ lunch, held in collaboration with the West Midlands Growth Company.

Universities are now one of the most significant players in inward investment and innovation-led growth in the Midlands with their projects now representing around 25% of the region’s major capital investment pipeline.

Dr Helen Turner, Director of Midlands Innovation and co-lead for the mission, said:

“We can’t wait to bring our campaign to Cannes this March. Since our official launch last year, we have been showcasing the outstanding R&D strengths of the Midlands and elevating our region’s profile globally. By bringing universities together in this way, we have achieved so much more than we could have done as individual institutions. MIPIM will provide us with another opportunity to demonstrate the region’s extensive offerings to potential investors.”

MIPIM represents the campaign’s fifth overseas investment mission since its launch at UKREiiF last May. The ‘Urban Festival’ attracts more than 20,000+ delegates from across the world, including 5,000 investors and 4,800 developers.

It runs from 10th – 14th March.

Learn more about MIPIM –  one of the largest real-estate events in the world

UK House – Midlands Takeover @ SXSW 2025

The Campaign will be attending SXSW. In collaboration with UKRI, Arts and Humanities Council and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and Innovate UK, the Invest in UK University R&D Midlands Campaign will

1. Showcase the region’s Creative and Digital Industry-related university, science and innovation strengths at the Midlands showcase and reception
2. Align our delegation and showcase opportunities with the DBT and Innovate UK Sector delegations, Creative and Digital Industry cluster organisations, cultural intuitions and Film, TV, Gaming and Fashion companies from across the midlands
3. Engage our university alumni active in Texas/attending SXSW

 

View the Mission Call

 

Full Midlands Takeover Programme 2024

Campaign’s Main Events for SXSW:

Investor Breakfast Roundtable		UK Universities Create: Innovation, SXSW  Reception

 

About SXSW

The SXSW Conference provides an opportunity for the global community of creatives to encounter cutting-edge ideas, discover new interests, and network with other professionals who share a similar appetite for forward-focused experiences.
Featuring a variety of tracks that focus on the most important breakthroughs in technology, film, culture, and music, SXSW proves that the most unexpected discoveries happen when diverse topics and people come together.
In 2024 there were over 1,200 artists from 55 countries on 65 SxSW stages.2
DOWNLOAD THE SXSW GO app

iOS: SXSW® GO – 2025 Event Guide on the App Store

Android: SXSW® GO – Apps on Google Play

Explore the UK House Programme @ SXSW 2025 >

 

Get Involved

The Campaign will be working with the Midlands Engine Partnership, DBT, Innovate UK, West Midlands Growth Company and the East Midlands County Combined Authority  

Please select a Mission Point of Contact for you institution and email invest@midlandsinnovation.org.uk to register for the weekly Mission Development meetings. 

The Campaign will be hosting an activation in Boston, taking place between 12-14th February 2025. Activity will coincide with the 2025 AGM of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The mission is supported by the UK Consulate General in Boston and will align with a major delegation led by The Royal Society Foreign Secretary, Professor Sir Mark Walport and Charlotte Dean, Executive Chair of EPSRC.

Mission Focus:

1. Our investment promotion priorities are Midlands Mindforge (Venture Capital) and Health and Life Sciences. We will be engaging AAAS delegates, the UK CG Boston VC contacts and Midlands alumni in these sectors living and working in Boston/MA.
2. Our thought-leadership and positioning proposition is
   1. the distinctiveness of what we’re doing together as a collaboration
   2. universities as knowledge diplomacy actors at the sub-national level – serving as innovation bridges between places/ regions/ cities.
3. The Campaign now has full sector pages updated online and will soon have a printed prospectus available for distribution

 

View the Mission Call

 

About AAAS Annual Meeting 2025

The American Association for the Advancement of Science
Date: Thursday, February 13, 2025 – Saturday, February 15, 2025
Time: 8:00am – 9:00pm

Location: 900 Boylston St, Boston, MA
Hynes Convention Center

The 2025 AAAS Annual Meeting – Science Shaping Tomorrow – invites us to celebrate and strengthen the projects and collaborations among science, policy, and communication that already exist and promote the infusion of scientific and technical expertise into the public discourse and policymaking. We will highlight not only the responses to challenges and crises, but also marvel at what our future could be.

 

Get Involved

The Campaign will be working with the Midlands Engine Partnership, West Midlands Growth Company and the East Midlands County Combined Authority  

Please select a Mission Point of Contact for you institution and email invest@midlandsinnovation.org.uk to register for the weekly Mission Development meetings.