Industry innovation leads the way

konfer joins Cardiff University’s 2025 showcase 

Last week, we joined Cardiff University’s Industrial Innovation Showcase 2025, spotlighting the university’s impact on business innovation and growth. Organized by Cardiff Business School and the School of Engineering, it brought together businesses, academics, and innovation professionals to network, exhibit engagement activities, and spark new collaborations. 

The packed agenda included talks on the regional innovation landscape from government representatives, a fireside chat with successful Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) beneficiaries, and flash talks showcasing cutting-edge research projects benefiting businesses. Panels also explored sector strengths and innovation priorities across Wales and the UK, alongside sessions on how Welsh universities can support enterprises through research, talent and funding streams. 

For us at konfer, this was a fantastic opportunity to connect with the wide range of attendees. Our stand attracted strong interest, sparking engaging conversations with businesses, academics, and innovation support professionals. We met with university innovation and commercial managers exploring research collaborations with businesses, and senior innovation leaders interested in using konfer to connect businesses with research projects and postgraduate talent. 

We also spoke with representatives from business support organisations, dedicated to helping both new and established enterprises through advice, access to funding, skills training, and other resources. Academics shared exciting research initiatives, from alternative fuels and decarbonisation technologies to circular economy and CO₂ utilisation projects. These conversations highlighted the vibrant innovation ecosystem in Wales and the potential for meaningful university-business collaboration. 

It was inspiring to see Cardiff Business School and the School of Engineering working together, with clear crossovers evident in the KTP discussions and research showcases. The event was busy, energetic, and full of opportunities for making valuable connections that will undoubtedly lead to new collaborations for konfer and the wider business community. 

We’re grateful to the teams at Cardiff Business School and the School of Engineering for inviting us to take part. Showcasing konfer and seeing the exciting collaborations taking shape at Cardiff University (and across Wales and the wider UK) was a real privilege. We’re looking forward to more events like this in the new academic year and to continuing our work helping businesses connect with university research to drive innovation. 

If you’re a business or a university interested in exploring new opportunities for collaboration, visit www.konfer.online to find out how konfer can help you connect. 

If you would like konfer to support your innovation events please get in touch.  

Anna Dent-Davies, Universities Partnership Manager