Second Derbyshire Festival of Business launched by University of Derby

The second Derbyshire Festival of Business has been launched by the University of Derby’s Business School at an event at the University’s Enterprise Centre.

The Festival, which is run in partnership with Vision Derbyshire and East Midlands Chamber, will feature exhibitions, workshops, masterclasses and public lectures to showcase and support local businesses between now and March 2023.

It follows the first successful Festival which ran from September 2021 to April 2022. This saw 63 events take place, including 43 masterclasses with a total of 5,496 attendees and involving 786 businesses. The Festival had a wide reach, with 33 counties covered and around 49% of businesses engaged with coming from outside the region. 

Vision Derbyshire is a joint initiative involving the county, district, and borough councils in Derbyshire to improve outcomes for all its communities.

Upcoming events include:

• A public lecture by Professor Trevor Williams on The Economics of Climate Change: How to Make it Work for Everyone at the University’s Kedleston Road site on 22 November
• Inspired Business, a networking event focusing on the role of the creative and cultural industries, at Dubrek Studios in Derby on 25 November
• A range of workshops, including one on Leading Remote and Hybrid Teams, taking place online on 30 November

The second Derbyshire Festival of Business was launched at an event to celebrate Derbyshire’s Top 200 businesses, which took place on 15 November at the University’s Enterprise Centre in Derby. The list is based on research carried out by researchers at the University’s Business School, compiled from publicly available information for the financial period 1 July 2019 to 30 June 2020. The top ten companies in the list are:

1. Toyota Motor Manufacturing (UK)
2. Eco-Bat Technologies
3. Bloor Investments
4. Greencore
5. Bowmer and Kirkland
6. Rolls-Royce Plc
7. Motorpoint
8. Bombardier Transportation UK
9. Miller Homes Group
10. Vaillant UK
     

Speaking at the event, Professor Warren Manning, Provost Innovation and Research at the University of Derby, said:

“The results confirm that our city and county remain home to some of the world’s most successful and prestigious businesses, names that are known and respected around the globe. As a university our aim is to raise skills and aspirations across our region and to act as a catalyst for business growth. Working with businesses, we are helping to position Derby internationally as a place to do business as well as a place to study, live and work.”

Scott Knowles, Chief Executive of East Midlands Chamber, added:

“The Derby and Derbyshire business community has proven, time and again, that is resilient, innovative, creative and world class. There is no doubt that business will prove itself to be all these things again, even if the next few months for some might prove challenging. Derbyshire Festival of Business is a key component of supporting the business community as its needs evolve in the coming weeks and months.”

Angela Tooley, Enterprise Development Manager at the University of Derby, said:

“As the University’s profile and impact within the business community continues to grow and we move forward with our plans for our city-based Derby Business School, we look forward to working with local businesses and the events they will be delivering."

Full details of events taking place during the Derbyshire Festival of Business are on the University’s website.