Every university in the north of England is coming together for the first time to unite their expertise and agree a plan of action to drive the Northern Powerhouse agenda forward.
The historic summit has been organised by the University of Hull and will unite the leaders of the 28 universities across the north of England in a direct response to Northern Powerhouse Minister Jake Berry’s call to create an elite network of Northern Powerhouse universities leading the country in science, research and innovation.
By collaborating, the universities hope to create an energy economy that will lead the world in low-carbon growth.
Vice-Chancellor of the University of Hull, Professor Susan Lea, will open the conference. She says: “This unprecedented collaboration of all 28 universities is vital to our Northern Powerhouse aspirations.
“United, we can create a culture of innovation that will help shape a dynamic, sustainable and low-carbon economy for the north. Not only will this help balance the north-south divide, but it will benefit the nation as a whole and further enhance the north of England’s position on the global stage.”
The conference will also be attended by representatives from the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, the Northern Powerhouse, the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, the Humber Local Enterprise Partnership, the CEO of the Connected Places Catapult and the N8 Research Partnership. It will also feature a message from Jake Berry MP.
He says: “At the inaugural Northern Powerhouse Higher Education Summit in Liverpool, I called for an Ivy League of the North where the N8 Research Partnership and our other great Northern universities can combine their technical knowledge, expertise and know-how to build the economy of tomorrow and create a highly-skilled, highly-educated new generation of graduates.
“I am proud to see universities from across our region delivering on this ambition with the Universities of the North conference taking place this week at the University of Hull. With a focus on exploring the opportunities presented by the low carbon agenda, I am looking forward to hearing how Government can support our region’s best researchers, thinkers and academics so that the UK remains a global leader for green technology and tackling climate change.”