Global Entrepreneurship Week UK to be celebrated with ground-breaking event
Northern Ireland’s first Enterprise Education conference will take place at the South Eastern Regional College (SERC) in Bangor on November 17 as part of the world-wide Global Entrepreneurship Week celebrations, bringing together entrepreneurs, enterprise educators, policy makers, and business supporters.
The Global Entrepreneurship Network UK, in partnership with Young Enterprise NI and the college, will host the free event designed to inspire a new generation of entrepreneurs across the country, share best practice and explore what the future of Enterprise Education in Northern Ireland could look like.
Katie Matthews-Furphy, Director of Global Entrepreneurship Week UK and Northern Ireland National Director for the Global Entrepreneurship Network, said the conference will also connect attendees to other parts of the country.
“We are very excited to be working with YENI and SERC to deliver Northern Ireland’s first, dedicated Enterprise Education Conference,” she said.
“We have a fantastic line-up of speakers and panellists, with a packed schedule and interesting content.
“The afternoon session will take a hybrid format, seeing us connecting in with satellite mini-conferences, in other locations across the UK and Europe.”
Among speakers will be Sharon Davies, CEO of Young Enterprise UK, Dr Emily Beaumont, President of Enterprise Educators UK, Dave Linton, Founder of Madlug, Carol Fitzsimons, Director of Young Enterprise Northern Ireland and Colin Jess, Chief Executive of Social Enterprise NI.
Minister for the Economy, Gordon Lyons, said “Global Entrepreneurship Week is an excellent opportunity to celebrate Northern Ireland’s commitment to developing entrepreneurship and our reputation for innovation”.
“Well-known past examples include the world-class innovation shown in our shipbuilding and linen industries, while today, Northern Ireland continues to innovate in sectors including cyber security, advanced manufacturing and financial technology (“fintech”).
“In line with the Department’s 10X Economic Vision for the region to embrace a decade of innovation, entrepreneurship is a key priority for Northern Ireland.
“We want to increase the number and ambition of enterprises driven by innovation, to support economic growth for all our people. Global Entrepreneurship Week will play an important role in helping to focus on the important role entrepreneurship has to play as we seek to realise the 10X Vision.”
GEN UK is part of the Global Entrepreneurship Network, a global movement active in over 200 countries, and Ken Webb, Principal of SERC said “the college is delighted to host the Future of Enterprise Education Conference at the college’s SPACE theatre” in Bangor.
“By bringing together entrepreneurs, educators, ecosystem builders, policy makers, politicians, investors, and supporters, we can start to build a vibrant and impactful entrepreneurial ecosystem for our local and global communities,” he explained.
“We are looking forward to being part of the wider discussion on education and entrepreneurship, and how we can empower every individual to achieve their goals”.
Elaine Gold, Managing Director, GEN UK said the week of activities will mark a milestone for the initiative.
“2022 is the 15th Anniversary of Global Entrepreneurship Week, the world’s largest celebration of entrepreneurship.
“We look forward to meeting many entrepreneurs and supporters of the UK’s entrepreneurial ecosystem during the week.”
Tickets for the event are available here: https://www.worldlabs.org/opportunity/gew-uk-2022/event/gew-2022-the-future-of-entrepreneurship-education-in-ni
To view all the events happening across the UK during GEW, visit www.gewuk.org
