Facilitating innovation-related policy and partnership-building projects.
Current Projects
The team at Unconventional Connections are providing a range of Executive services for the UK Edible Insect Association (formerly the Woven Network CIC). These include developing the business plan, monthly newsletter and other member services and events under the direction of the UKEIA Board - for which UC also provides the Secretariat.
Alongside Nick working within the MECS programme, Unconventional Connections is providing additional capacity to engage with major global cooking device brands and secure their participation in the programme.
Recent projects
North East Local Enterprise Partnership - Innovation Delivery Partners review
We worked with the NELEP Innovation Director and his team to provide an independent review of their concept of Innovation Delivery Partnerships as vehicles for harnessing the region's innovation resources to drive economic growth. The report is available on request
UK-China Agri/food tech Hub with Connect_China, New Food Innovation, Agrisynergy...
Starting with attending the 2050 China Food Tech Summit in Shanghai and a mission to the major agricultural province of Yunnan, we are working with a range of partners to build a platform to facilitate businesses and researchers to take their technologies and expertise to support agriculture and food production modernisation in China.
Nick participated as a judge in the feedX competition, assessing submissions from a broad range of insect farming companies for their potential to provide a sustainable alternative to fishmeal.
Knowledge Transfer Network and the Low Carbon Energy for Development Network
The LCEDN and the KTN are working on a project to identify how technologies developed in the UK could be applied in developing countries to enable improved access to affordable and sustainable energy.
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After an initial study of the research and innovation landscape Unconventional Connections was commissioned to review what is known about a range of developing countries to assess the potential for the different technologies to be deployed there.
Simon Elliott, founder and CEO of Garden of Ideas, aims to create a number of cultural entertainment resorts inspired by
the UK’s historic Pleasure Gardens, that will platform the world’s best art, science and technology, in a spectacular garden setting that explores how ​we can work more harmoniously with nature.
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We advised on and supported engagement with key partners and potential investors, including representing Simon at meetings with Shanghai Shendi Group and Truelin.
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