Following on from our breakfast briefing  Collaborative Robots - Cobots. What can they do for SME's, we are delighted to have been invited to a showcase visit to ABB Robotics in Milton Keynes for demonstrations and a "hands-on" session with the cobots. The visit will start at 5.30 pm and be finished by 7.00 pm.  Numbers are limited.

Peer-to-peer (P2P) business lending  –  where individuals and institutions lend directly to companies without going through traditional banks  – is of vital importance to individual businesses and the UK economy. The huge power and potential of so-called crowdfunding to support the growth ambitions of businesses, including startups, will be the focus of a very special Biztech event on November 10 in Milton Keynes. The expertise of peer-to-peer leader Angus Dent, the CEO of the pioneering company, ArchOver has been secured for Biztech’s Crowdfunding - the route to commerciality? the event at UCMK. Angus said: “Peer-to-Peer lending is of vital importance to individual businesses and the UK economy. SMEs are the engine of the UK economy, the engine of growth. 99% of businesses in the UK are SMEs, and they provide 48% of non-government employment. Without access to capital, or with restricted access to capital, the engine is bound to seize. “We continue to hear that despite protestations to the contrary, the high street banks have withdrawn from SME lending, leaving the challenger banks and p2p lending to fill that gap and provide the oil for the engine. “Historically, in the US, circa 90% of business funding has come from non-bank […]

High-speed broadband is crucial to the future economic success of Milton Keynes but some parts of the city have been stuck in the slow lane for years. And yet, the start of the answer could be lying beneath our feet – in a high-speed cable network that has been around for some years. CityFibre will be making more than 160km of this pure fibre network available to businesses, schools and colleges throughout the city via its city launch partner, and Biztech member, dbfb. The initiative is called Gigabit City and the name points to the amazing potential of ultra-fast broadband. “Unlocking Milton Keynes’s broadband potential will kick-start the Third Age of Growth in the city,” said Fredi Nonyelu, the chairman of Biztech business and technology forum. “With ultrafast broadband, I believe the Milton Keynes region will become the clear leader of UK growth. More technology companies will want to come here, more businesses will set up and more businesses will have their potential released. “The Gigabit City initiative is very exciting and anyone coming along to our Ask The Expert event will be able to find out not only what it means for Milton Keynes in general but also for […]

Come and join us for an evening of fine food, great speakers and networking at our annual Christmas Dinner. We are once again returning to the Swan at Salford, just outside of Milton Keynes. This year we are pleased to announce our speakers will be: Geoff Snelson, Director of Strategy, Milton Keynes Council David Rollafson, Chief Technical Officer, Transport Systems Catapult Richard Kellett-Clarke, of Idox Rob Monster, Chief Executive Officer, DigitalTown, Inc Paul Copping,  Chief Innovation Officer, Digital Greenwich Tickets include a welcome drink, a glass of wine at dinner and 3 courses. Cash Bar available for any additional drinks. £45 plus VAT for members and £48 plus VAT for non-members. Dress code:  Black Tie and Cocktail dresses. Tickets are limited so please book early to avoid disappointment.

Join us at our Fintech event at the Open University Technology is set to disrupt financial services in the same way as it has revolutionised other industries. Financial Technology – or FinTech – gives SMEs the opportunity to make big savings on their accountancy bills at the same time as challenging traditional white-collar businesses to change their business models. Milton Keynes companies can find out how they can take advantage of the tsunami of change coming their way at this Biztech event, organised in conjunction with the Open University. Biztech chairman, Fredi Nonyelu, said: “Technology has changed the landscape for many traditional businesses; including manufacturers and newspapers to name just two. “Now technology is challenging traditionally white-collar industries like accountancy. “One thing is for sure, if those industries don’t adapt to change, and act like King Canute in trying to hold back the tide, they will surely go under.” Most people know how easy it is to use banking apps to manage their accounts while on the move. That very small example gives an idea of the scale of what is coming for the financial services sector as technology disrupts old ways of working. Our speakers will be from The Open […]

Come and join us at our AGM where we will be sharing our strategy and plans for 2017.  On the same evening, should you wish to stay,  we will also be running an Ask the Expert Event on the topic of R&D tax credits and grants.  Refreshments will be available.

Biztech is hosting a special Ask The Expert event covering best practice and opportunities for grant funding. In association with UCMK, Biztech is delighted to be joined by TBAT Innovation’s Managing Director, Matt Symonds, who will give an outline of grants available and pass on hints and tips for applying for financial help. Matt has been assisting companies to grow through a mix of grant funding, technical consultancy and R&D Tax Credits for almost 10 years. TBAT Innovation, based near Derby, has grown to a team of 16 consultants and they have successfully assisted its clients in accessing millions in R&D grants and R&D Tax Credits, vital to the continued growth of these companies. Fredi Nonyelu, Biztech’s chairman, said: “Funding can transform the future of companies but there is a maze of opportunities and challenges in first finding the correct grants and then applying for them. We are delighted to have secured Matt’s services for this latest in our series of Ask The Expert events and look forward to a very productive event for both our members and guests.” Matt said: “It becomes very difficult and time-consuming for companies to identify grant funding options let alone writing the applications but it […]

Discover what you need to do to make your business compliant with the new GDPR  What is the MK Futures 2050 Programme? How are the plans for a new MK University progressing? What are Milton Keynes mobility projects? These vital issues for local businesses will be the focus of our Biztech and UCMK Ask the Expert Event. Andy Chesterman of DAMM Solutions will be presenting on the upcoming General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which will mean companies have to gain valid consent, which must be explicit for data collected and the purposes data is used for. This could have a major impact on businesses' email marketing campaigns.  Is your business making preparations to ensure you are compliant? Also, Geoff Snelson, Director of Strategy and Futures at Milton Keynes Council, will be updating Milton Keynes Businesses on MK Futures including outlining progress on the new university in Milton Keynes and mobility projects taking place around the city. Tickets cost £15.00 plus VAT for Biztech members and £20 for non-members.  There are a limited amount of free student places available.  Tickets include light refreshment.

Fintech is rapidly transforming the way the world does financial business. Touching every part of the economy from international corporations to SMEs, it is also helping to create one of the largest and fastest-growing sectors of the digital economy. With the city of London emerging as the global powerhouse, attracting Fintech entrepreneurs and investors from all around the world, companies in the SEMLEP area need to step up to the plate and take advantage of technology that is changing the financial services industry. Technology entrepreneur Fredi Nonyelu, who chairs Biztech technology forum said: “FinTech is already disrupting the financial world as we know it. It is an exciting time, not only for technology entrepreneurs to create new platforms and apps but for all companies that use financial services to look at the opportunities for growth. In this event, you will learn more about the Fintech innovations that are changing the world of money. Find out about the new technologies behind this new paradigm from cryptocurrencies and blockchain technologies. And discover how the blurring boundaries between real and virtual money are helping to create wealth faster than ever. Speakers at the event at the Knowledge Media Institute at the Open University […]

Biztech technology forum will be putting the spotlight on manufacturing in Milton Keynes during two events in the city’s 50th anniversary year, the first of which is a breakfast briefing on 5th October, Today’s manufacturers are a world away from the traditional image of manufacturing, involving experts and technologies at the cutting edge. On Thursday, October 5th, Biztech will be hosting a breakfast seminar involving two of the hidden gems of the Milton Keynes manufacturing scene. They are world-leading experts in pneumatics and automation, SMC Pneumatics, based in Crownhill, and industrial automation and control products distributor Routeco, which is based in Davy Avenue, Knowlhill. The breakfast event will involve how the companies have been built and incorporate Internet of Things technology and key issues in a highly competitive world, including manufacturing productivity and efficiency. Paul Barnes, SMC’s UK Distribution Sales Manager, and Graham Jones, the Business Development Director at Routeco, will be the breakfast event’s speakers. Paul will focus on how the company has grown since starting out in 1978 from a one-roomed office above a hairdresser in Leighton Buzzard. He will highlight SMC’s 35 years of being based in MK and how the company is "one of MK's best-kept […]

Biztech technology forum will be putting the spotlight on manufacturing in Milton Keynes during a showcase visit to a hidden gem during the city’s 50th anniversary year. The visit will be to the base of world-leading experts in pneumatics and automation, SMC Pneumatics, based in Crownhill, on the evening of Thursday, October 19. Visitors will be able to see what makes for a world-class manufacturing facility, able to successfully compete in today’s highly competitive business environment. Visitors will be able to see SMC’s 24,000 sqm manufacturing and logistics facility which includes a clean room and quality control departments. The reception will be in SMC’s "state of the art" Innovations Centre - which houses around 60 dynamic displays - using many of the company’s latest products, plus a display of products of the future. Henry Kafeman, of Biztech, said: “Milton Keynes is at the leading edge of so many industries but manufacturing rarely gets in the spotlight. “Biztech is aiming to change all that with our breakfast event on October 5 and this showcase visit on October 19. It is a part of our remit to showcase the very best of technology in the SEMLEP area and it will be a […]

Join us for a sparkling event on 24th November 2017.  The awards will be held over lunch in Central Milton Keynes at Eparks on Silbury Boulevard. Whether you are a business, academic or student; innovator designer or techie, these awards are to celebrate your achievements. Entries for the awards close on 27th October Tickets cost £15 per person plus VAT and include a buffet lunch, the awards start at 12 noon with the event finishing by 2 pm. Numbers are restricted so please book early.