Wales Enterprise Day - The Works

Standard YouTube Licence

Jane Lambert

Last Monday I chaired the fourth Wales Enterprise Day seminar at the Menai Science Park ("M-SParc"). It was filmed by Iwan Pitts and readers can watch the whole proceedings on YouTube.  Wales Enterprise Day was the brainchild of Emily Roberts.  She intended it to be a counterweight to World IP Day which M-SParc has celebrated every year since 2019,  As World IP Daty takes place in Spring M-SParc focuses on start-ups on that day though it does not ignore scale-ups,  In Autumn Wales Enterprise Day focuses on scale-ups but does not forget start-ups.

Our theme this year was Developing an IP Strategy and it was set out comprehensively but also comprehensibly by Antony Craggs of Shoosmiths.  Antony spoke about IP Strategy and Enforcement just before lunch on the last day of the Cambridge IP Law Summer School at Downing College. Winning and holding an audience's attention in that slot is an uphill task but Antony had us sitting bolt-upright as he delivered his talk.  I have heard nearly as many presentations on IP  strategy and enforcement as I have had hot dinners but Antony's talk was exceptional.  I booked him for Wales Enterprise Day before he even left the lecture hall.

Antony chose the same theme for his talk to M-SParc but he delivered it in a very different way,  That was partly because it was given over the Internet and partly because he had a different audience. Most of the attendees at the Cambridge IP Law Summer School are lawyers.  Some are trainee solicitors but most are assistant solicitors with a good knowledge and some practical experience of IP.  Antony's audience on Monday consisted mainly of business owners.  His talk was interactive and he used slido to encourage participation.  He illustrated his talk by considering the business issues and decisions that would be taken by the founders of a new solar power company called "Folt".  The reason for the spelling will be appreciated when it is remembered that "F" is pronounced "V" in Welsh.  If anything Antony's presentation to M-SParc was even more impressive than the one that he gave at Cambridge.  Readers can watch it all on the above video,

The next speaker was Geraint McGrath, Senior Investment Manager of the Foresight Group which is one of the fund managers of the Investment Fund for Wales,  I met Geraint at the St David's Day dinner at the Guildhall in London.  One of the topics we discussed was flotation on the London Stock Exchange,  Having read Capital Issues: Reforming the UK’s Capital Markets to Boost Science and Tech by the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change and Onward which advocated root and branch reform of capital markets I suggested told us the revival of local capital markets in Britain.  I pointed out that several had subsisted until 1972 when they merged with the London Stock Exchange.  I have just found an interesting article about those regional exchanges by Gareth Campbell and others entitled The Rise and Decline of the UK's Provincial Stock Market 1869 to 1929,

Though not exactly a start-up, MDF Recovery Ltd opened a new office at M-SParc in May of this year (see MDF Recovery expands presence with new office at M-Sparc, Anglesey 7 May 2024),  The office is led by Rob Elias who is Head of Business Development at the company.  I first met Rob when he chaired a workshop on sustainable packaging that I addressed in January 2019 (see IP for the Welsh Food and Packaging Industries 30 Jan 2019 NIPC News).  He was also a guest speaker at M-SParc's World IP Day celebrations in 2020.  Rob introduced us to his company's technology which extracts wood fibre from waste medium-density fibreboard so that it can be reconstituted into fresh blocks.

Tom Burke has founded several successful businesses and is also Digital Innovation Manager at M-SParc. His latest enterprise is Streams+ which promotes eSports.  Tom told us about his pivot from video conferencing to eSports.  He mentioned the first Welsh-speaking eSports event at the National Eisteddfod which he helped to organize and promote (see Emily Roberts Historic First: Welsh Language Esports Competition Debuts at National Eisteddfod 7 Aug 2024  M-Sparc's website).  He also said that the International Olympic Committee has organized an annual eSports Series and that the event was gaining popularity rapidly.

The last speaker was Emma Richards, Regional Policy Advisor at the IPO.  Last year I quizzed her about the use of Welsh at the Intellectual Property Office.  As there has definitely been some progress since then I introduced her as "the lady who can get things done" (see IPO's Welsh Language Website 13 Nov 2024 NIPC Wales). Emma modestly disclaimed credit for the language progress but she introduced us to the IPO's YouTube channel and showed us the IP Basics and attachés videos.  Most importantly, she promised support to enable M-SParc to provide its tenants and local business community with the services available in the Business and IP Centres network in England,  As a first step she has arranged for Gwenllian Owen, M-SParc's Commercialization and Innovation Officer, to attend the IPO's IP Masterclass and Gwenllian will be followed on that course shortly by Lois Bevan Shaw, Business Support & Project Development Manager at M-SParc.

This is a convenient point for me to express my gratitude to Gwenllian for all the work that she did to make the Wales Enterprise Day seminar happen.  I suggested speakers, promoted the event in this publication and on social media and chaired the seminar on the day but Gwenllian did everything else which must have required a lot of work.  I see from Gwenllian's LinkedIn page that she has recently marked her second anniversary with M-SParc.  Her achievements at the science park have been considerable and I think she can fairly chalk up Monday's seminar as yet another resounding success. 

Finally, I remind readers that Monday's seminar was not an isolated event.   It was just one of several free services that Sean Thomas, Andrea Knox, Steve Livingston and I offer together with other IP professionals (see An IP Clinic for M-SParc 25 Jan 2024 NIPC Wales).   These will complement the Business and IP Centre services that Emma Richards referred to in her talk,  Immediately after the seminar I was consulted by two young local inventors who are contemplating an interesting business venture,   Anyone wishing to access those services can do so at any time by completing the attached form. 

Anyone wishing to discuss this article may call me on +44 (0)20 7404 5252 during UK office hours or send me a message through my contact form.

Investment Fund for Wales

Standard YouTube Licence

Jane Lambert

The Investment Fund for Wales (Gronfa Buddsoddi i Gymru) is a £130 million commitment of new funding for businesses in Wales.  It is one of several investment funds for the nations of the United Kingdom and the regions of England to boost long-term growth.  The others are the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II about which I have written extensively (see The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund Roadshow 17 Oct 2024 NIPC Yorkshire and the articles referred to in that post), the Midlands Engine Investment Fund II, the South West Investment Fund, the Investment Fund for Scotland and the Investment Fund for Northern Ireland).

As with the other funds, the British Business Bank has made the funding available and arranged with local fund managers to distribute it in the form of smaller loans, debt finance and equity investment.  BCRS lends between £25,000 and £100,000. FW Capital offers debt finance between £100,000 and £2 million.  The Foresight Group invests between £2 and £5 million in companies' share capital.  Both the British Business Bank and the fund managers work with other lenders and investors in Wales.  Such lenders include clearing and challenger banks, business angels and venture capitalists that do business in Wales.  They in turn collaborate with local accountants, business advisors, law firms, patent and trade mark attorneys and others who advise and assist startups, scale-ups and other small businesses,

Some of the activities of the fund are mentioned in its press release of 19 Nov 2024 (The Investment Fund for Wales hits £10m investment milestone as it celebrates one year anniversary).  Examples of equity investment include £650,000 into the adventure tour operator EverTrek (see EverTrek  19 July 2024 on the British Business Bank website) and £850,000 into Drone Evolution by the Foresign Group (see the British Business Bank's press release of 7 Nov 2024  £850k equity investment in drone company supplying aid through Investment Fund for Wales).  The press release of 19 Nov also mentions £500,000 from FW Capital for Palmers Scaffolding and BCRS's £100,000 facility for Snowdon Timber Products Ltd from BCRS.

Business owners who are unsure how to approach the British Business Bank, a fund manager or any other lender or investor could do worse than book a free appointment in person or by video link with me or some other professional through our Initial Advice and Signposting service (see An IP Clinic for M-SParc 

25 Jan 2024  NIPC Wales).  If funding is offered there are bound to be legal issues some of which I can resolve.  Other services such as drafting shareholders' agreements and patent prosecution can be done more efficiently by commercial solicitors such as Andrea Knox or patent attorneys like Sean Thomas.

Anyone wishing to discuss this article may call me on 020 7404 5252 during UK business hours or send me a message through my contact form.

IPO's Welsh Language Website

Pont Gludo Casnewydd - Transporter Bridge Newport
(c) 2015 Jane Elizabeth Lambert: all rights reserved

 

Jane Lambert

The UK Intellectual Property Office updated its news story IPO launches bilingual website as part of Welsh language commitment on 12 Nov 2024 ........ by adding a translation.  The story which was originally uploaded on 12 Sep 2024 announced:

"Visitors to the Intellectual Property Office’s home page and main navigation pages on GOV.UK will now see that these are bilingual, as the IPO completes the first phase of its programme of work to provide digital information and services in Welsh."

And so it does:

The first page to be translated partially is on trade marks:
~

Readers can learn more about the IPO's Welsh language commitment on Monday 18 Nov 2024 from Emma Richards who will be one of the speakers at the Menai Science Park's contribution to this year's Wales Enterprise Day celebrations.  She will also have a lot of other topics to discuss as she is the Regional Policy Advisor to the IPO,

There are still a few places at the event online and at the venue,   If you want to take part  you can register here,

Anyone wishing to discuss this article may call me on +44 (0)20 7404 5252 during office hours or send me a message through my contact form.

Wales Enterprise Day 2024 - Diwrnod Menter Cymru 2024

 

Jane Lambert

Wales Enterprise Day takes place on or around 18 Nov of every year.  It grew out of the Menai Science Park's World Intellectual Property Day celebrations in 2021,  The theme that year was "Taking your Ideas to Market".  The topic was so large that the science park decided to hold two events, one focusing on startups on Word Intellectual Property Daty and another on scaleups in autumn.  Emily Roberts suggested that the Autumn event should be called Wales Enterprise Day and the name stuck.  Last year Aberinnovation and Tramshed joined our celebrations.  This year we shall invite organizations, communities and individuals throughout Wales and beyond to take part in the day.

The main celebrations will be a hybrid online and in-person seminar on 18 Nov between 12:00 and 14:00.  We have some star speakers such as Antony Craggs of Shoosmirths, Geraint McGrath of the Foresight Group, Tom Burke of Haia and Streams+  and I shall chair the event.  Antony was one of the speakers at the  Cambridge IP Law Summer School and he gave one of the best presentations on IP strategy and enforcement that I have ever heard.  I signed him up to deliver a similar talk to Wales Enterprise Day before he left the conference hall.  I met Geraint at the St David's Day Dinner at the Guildhall in March.  He will discuss the Investment Fund for Wales and the massive opportunities it offers to Welsh businesses.  Tom has co-founded several of M-SParc's tenant companies and he is now the Innovation Manager of M-SParc.  We recently collaborated on the Convergent Content Scaler Programme on 25 Sept 2024 at which I discussed IP rights.  We have invited several other distinguished speakers and everybody in the audience will be invited to participate.

For those who want to attend in person, the seminar will take place in M-SParc's boardroom. The event is free and readers can reserve their places by booking online. Anyone wishing to discuss this article may call me on 020 7404 5252 during office hours or send me a message through my contact form.

Digidol 24

Llanbrynmair, the first community in the UK with full-fibre broadband

Author Folks at 137 Licence CC BY0SA 3,0 Source Wikimedia Commons

Jane Lambert

In Tallinn, I remarked that Estonia reminded me of Wales.  Estonia has a highly developed digital infrastructure that has launched businesses like Skype, Bolt, and Starship Technologies. Having spent Wednesday, 23 Oct 2024 at Digidol 24 - Wales's Digital Conference, Wales reminded me very much of Estonia. An impression was strengthened by the news that Llanbrynmair in Powys was the first telephone exchange area in the UK where every resident had access to ultrafast broadband (see Mari Grug 19 Oct 2024 BBC website).

Digidol 24 was the biggest event that I had ever attended at the Menai Science Park and one of the best.  When I learned that it was to be hosted by Ameer Davies-Ranam I could not stay away.  Ameer (or Sgrameer as he is known on YouTube) kept me amused and actually taught me a bit of Welsh during lockdown.  I loved his pub, burger, Chinese, Christmas dinner, curry and other eatery reviews.  He is such a good sport that he even tried Welsh folk dancing which includes a leap known as "the grasshopper".  I introduced myself to Sgrameer during the coffee break and he seemed genuinely surprised and flattered to learn that he had a fan in Yorkshire.

Plenary sessions were held in the science park's atrium where the Tanio is located.  There were breakout sessions in room G69 and the Ffiws, Boardroom and Collaboration rooms.  I attended the plenary sessions but visited the Ffiws room for lunch and the exhibition stands in G69.   

The first speaker in the atrium was Glyn Jones, Chief Digital Officer and Director of Analysis at the Welsh Government, who delivered an update on the Digital Strategy for Wales.  He was followed by Avril Lewis, Managing Director at Technology Connected, who spoke about Wales Tech Week which takes place at the International Conference Centre in Newport between 24 and 26 Nov 2024. I had previously heard her at the Digital Wales event at the Welsh Government's office in London on 12 Sept 2023 (see Reflections on Wales Innovation Week in London on 20 Sept 2023).

One of the most interesting presentations of the day was an introduction to Glu by Mike Hawkes of CapVentis. Dr Hawkes had previously spoken at Wales Enterprise Day in 2023.  Glu appears to be a comprehensive suite of business applications built around a single-core GluFoundation. I listened very carefully to his talk and discussed it with him over lunch afterwards.  As far as I could understand it, the technical advance lay in the connection and manipulation of data in different formats.  The "Our Glu Journey" segment at the end of the Glu page on the CapVentis website provides further information.  If my understanding is correct, this technology could be of immense commercial value.

Another fascinating presentation was delivered by Paul Kinlan of Google.  He discussed the history of the development of the Chrome browser and operating system and Google's plans for its future development. I encountered him on the way to lunch and asked him what if anything could be done to improve the interoperability of files created by Microsoft software on Chrome and vice versa.  I remarked that it is possible to run Office 365 pm a Chromebook but not very convenient.  I got the impression that the difficulties were more commercial than technical.

After lunch, Llion Jones delivered an online presentation on artificial intelligence from Tokyo.  He is one of the authors of Attention is All You Need which proposed a simple network architecture called "the Transformer" based solely on attention mechanisms.  According to the Eventbrite card, the Transformer became the basis of ChatGPT.  Mr Jones is now working for Sakana AI which describes itself on https://sakana.ai/seed-round/ as a new AI research company based in Tokyo.  It aims to develop transformative AI that will lead to the next paradigm. The main focus of its research and development of new kinds of foundation models will be based on nature-inspired intelligence. The company's name is Sakana (さかな) which means "fish" in Japanese. It is meant to invoke the idea of a school of fish coming together and forming a coherent entity from simple rules.

Being mindful of The Society of Authors' statement that

"The unlicensed use of creatiuve works for training generative AI is a major unjust threat to the livelihood of the people behind those works, and must not be permitted"

I asked Mr Jones whether he agreed that there was a distinction to be drawn between creativity and intelligence.  To my surprise, he replied that there wasn't. I responded that they are completely different mental processes, the former being an exercise in understanding and the latter an inspiration of the spirit. My view is that authors like Kazuo Ishiguro and Ian Rankin have nothing to worry about.  A machine may be great at creating elevator music but will never produce a work that stands comparison with Chopin.

A highlight of the day was an unscheduled session of short presentations by three of M-SParc's tenants in the atrium.  One of the speakers was Tomos Owen who co-founded Pelly.  That is an app that helps football clubs make recruitment and other decisions.  This is another product that has been developed in the science park and has considerable commercial potential.  

The last of the plenary speakers was Susi Marston who discussed the digital infrastructure that is soon to be rolled out in Wales.  She promised very similar services to those that are available in Estonia including tariff-free voice calls and very fast broadband.  BT had a stand in the atrium which I visited during one of the breaks.  There I learned about the 5G mobile network that the company is installing.  I was told by one of Ms Marston's colleagues that there is an excellent signal at the summit of Yr Wyddfa and that Northern Ireland has the most advanced fibre network in the UK.

Breakout sessions that I would have attended had it been possible to be in two places at once included 

• Huw Watkins and Iqbal Bedi on Technology Options to Improve SME Performance - Examples from North Wales and the BT Connectivity Roadshow in the Ffiws room, 
• Senedd member Rhin ap Iorwerth's reflections on the Digital Strategy, the panel discussion on smart buildings and decarbonization and the Federation of Small Businesses' Creative Report in the Boardroom, and
• Business Wales's workshops in the Collaboration Room.

I visited as many of the stands as I could.  I was particularly glad to make contact with Ambition North Wales which brings together the region's local authorities and its universities and to renew my connection with Gogledd Creadigol.

One of the reasons for Estonia's success in establishing and growing new businesses is that it has a highly skilled workforce.  In my article on Estonia, I explained that that was because it has an excellent education system and that its kids regularly outscore children from other countries in the OECD PISA tests.  However, Welsh schoolchildren are not far behind and one of M-SParc's most important activities is Club Sparci.  It was encouraging to see that the last event of the day was a meeting of Club Sparci where the kids would learn about Raspberry Pi.  

Anybody wishing to discuss this article may call me on 020 7404 5252 during UK office hours or send me a message through my contact form.

M-SParc Returns to London

(c) 2024 Jane Elizabeth Lambert all rights reserved

Gareth the Orangutan at the London Welsh Centre 25 Sep

 

Jane Lambert

During last year's Indian summer, representatives of the Menai Science Park ("M-SParc") held a series of events at the House of Lords,  the London Welsh School and the Welsh Government's London offices in Victoria.  I attended two of those events and discussed them in Reflections on Wales Innovation Week in London.  Yesterday and the day before the M-SParc team returned to London to promote opportunities, investment, entrepreneurship and innovation in Wales (see M-SParc #ArYLonDon on the M-SParc website).

This year they held a reception at the London Welsh Centre on 25 Sept 2024 and continued the next day with STEM workshops at the London Welsh School and a pitching event organized by Global Welsh in Whitechapel at which M-SParc was a sponsor.  As soon as I finished my talk on intellectual property for the Convergent Content Scaler I took a train to London which arrived just in time for the reception at the London Welsh Centre.

Someone at M-SParc took or made arrangements for a video to be taken of the event and posted it to Linkedin.  The event took place in the first-floor bar of the Centre.  I was shown the dancing robot and invited to try my luck at one of the video games.  I also circulated and introduced myself to some of the speakers and other guests.

Sometime after 18:30, Pryderi ap Rhisiart, M-SParc's Managing Director, introduced himself to the audience.  He said a few words about the science park, the trip to London and the programme for the evening,  He then introduced Hywel Pitts, a superabundantly talented singer I would never have discovered had I not started to study Welsh.  

He had the audience in fits of laughter.  Sadly most of his jokes and allusions passed over my head because I could not keep pace with the lyrics or patter. While my Welsh is a little bit more than "tipyn bach" it is a long way short of "yn rhugl."  Simultaneous translation was available but I try not to use it when learning a language. It is usually possible to pick up the gist of a conversation and attune the ear but relying on an interpreter teaches nothing.  Happily, there is a song about Brexit recorded on YouTube that Hywel sang with another popular singer known as "the Welsh Whisperer."  The lyrics of that song are so obvious that anyone can follow that song sufficiently to appreciate both artists' wits.  

After the singing, Pryderi introduced a panel of speakers:

• Llinos Medi MP, the recently elected member for Ynys Môn 
• Owain James of Darogan Talent
• Huw Brassington of Tenet Consultants, and
• Peter Evans of Wales in London.

He had several questions on folded post-it notes that had been placed in a tricorne hat.  He invited each of the quests to pick one from the hat, read it to the audience and discuss it.  Some of the interviews were in Welsh where, again, I picked up the gist but not the detail.

After a short break, we met the star of the evening, Gareth yr Orangutan.  I have been a fan of Gareth's for years - long before he joined M-SParc.  I first encountered him during lockdown when I spent the fortnight that I had intended to spend in St Davids listening to "Say Something in Welsh" recordings.  I think I learnt more Welsh from those videos than ever I did from the courses at Nant Gwrtheyrn, Popeth Cymraeg and the London Welsh Centre.  Gareth speaks the Welsh of everyday conversation which is a lot less structured than the classroom version.  My favourite videos are his work experience in the chip shop and his Christmas show with the ghost of Christmas past, the Welsh whisperer and Sion Corn.  Gareth interviewed some of the guests in his inimitable style.

The evening was in full swing when I was horrified to see that I had just 35 minutes to dash to King's Cross to catch the last train back to Donny.   Since buses are as frequent as the Preston Guild and taxis are as rare as hens' teeth I had to run.  I did not have time to say goodbye to Gareth or the rest of the team from M-SParc.  I had been hoping to meet Hywel Pitts and Llinos Medi MP but that will have to be another occasion.   

I boarded my train with minutes to spare, picked up my car at the station car park and arrived him just after 02:00. It had been a very long day but a very pleasant one.

The Welsh Science Parks' Convergent Content Scaler Programme

 

Jane Lambert

The Menai Science Park ("M-SParc") has been running a very successful accelerator programme for startups for several years.   In Two Kinds of Accelerators - Colin Jackson in a Race and Accelerators for Startups, I described accelerator programmes as "fixed-term, cohort-based programmes, that include mentorship and educational components and culminate in a public pitch event or demo day. Another way of describing an accelerator is as a cross between The Apprentice and Dragons' Den. Your idea is pinched, pulled and prodded tested to destruction but if it survives you will receive training, mentoring and ultimately funding." I discussed M-SParc's accelerator programme on 15 Feb 2022 and the Accelerator's Showcase on 22 June 2022.

Startups cannot remain startups forever and as I noted in IP Strategy to Scale-Up on 19 Oct 2021 the transition from startup to scaleup is often described as a chasm.   I explained in that article

"That is because most scale-ups are very different from start-ups in terms of governance, marketing and funding. One obvious difference is that start-ups can be funded by their founders themselves, possibly with the support of friends and family and maybe some grants or soft loans whereas scale-ups usually need investment from third parties such as angels, venture capitalists and in a few rare cases the AIM."

Such investors will expect safeguards for their investments and the bundle of laws that protect investment in innovation, branding and creativity is known collectively as "intellectual property."   It was for that reason that Tom Burke invited me to give a talk on "Safeguarding Investment in Convergent Content" to the Convergent Content Scaler between 10:00 and 12:00 on 25 Sept 2024.

The Convergent Content Scaler is a collaboration between M-SParc on Ynys Môn and Tramshed Tech in South Wales.   It is a 12-week programme in which participants will receive tailored support to help scale up and expand on creative tech projects as well as gain access to further funding, resources and coaching. I attended the launch at M-SParc and online on 12 Sept 2024 between 09:00 and 11:00.

My talk was received very generously by the audience. Klaire Tanner one of the attendees wrote:

"Completely forgot to tell you that I’ve been accepted onto the Convergent Content Scaler Programme, run by Tramshed Tech and M-SParc 🚀

Had a fantastic time this morning on the programme, Jane Lambert did a really insightful session on IP!"

She also posted some lovely photos of the smiling faces of the M-SParc attendees in the park's Collaboration Room.   Tom wrote:  "Was a fantastic session! Diolch yn fawr Jane Lambert."  I replied that it is always a pleasure to work with Tom and that Klaire had delivered a splendid talk on AI from which I had learnt a lot in the same room earlier this year.  For the convenience of those who attended my talk and anyone else who may be interested I have uploaded my slides to Slideshare,

After the talk, I discussed some of the IP issues of some of the members of the audience.  There was insufficient time to address everyone's issue and I invited the attendees to book appointments on our "Initial Advice and Signposting" clinic by filling in the form below.  Anybody wishing to discuss this article may call me on 020 7404 5252 during normal office hours or send me a message through my contact page.

Fill out my online form.