British Science Festival to be held in the region for first time

The British Science Festival will be held in Coventry and Warwickshire this year for the first time in its 188-year history.

The prestigious event, organised by the British Science Association with the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP) as a major partner, will take place from Tuesday September 10 to Friday September 13.

The best of British science will be celebrated when hundreds of free talks, debates, performances and activities will be held throughout Coventry and at the University of Warwick between September 10 and 13, followed by a Family Day at the Warwick campus on Saturday September 14.

The British Science Festival, one of Europe’s longest-established science festivals, travels to a different part of the UK every year to bring a vast array of events, performances and installations with a scientific twist.

Ivvet Modinou, Director of the British Science Festival, said: “We are really proud to bring the British Science Festival to Coventry and Warwickshire this year, the first time in its history.

"The festival will shine a national spotlight on the world-class research taking place at the University of Warwick and the strength and depth of the research and development taking place across the Coventry and Warwickshire region. The events will span a diverse range of subjects and formats, encompassing science in the broadest sense, promising something for everyone.

“We are grateful to our industry partners and the regional Local Enterprise Partnerships who are supporting the British Science Association and the University of Warwick in putting on a must-see event this September and to build a legacy for public engagement with science and engineering across the region.”

Nick Spencer, a board director at the CWLEP and a senior director at Jaguar Land Rover, was among the guests who spoke at the official launch of the 2019 British Science Festival.

He said: “This is a wonderful time to be in Coventry and Warwickshire as we continue to celebrate so many positive events in the area. The British Science Festival will be a great addition to our build-up programme to Coventry being UK City of Culture in 2021 as well celebrating science and technology.

“Coventry and Warwickshire is enjoying a renaissance in all areas since the CWLEP is the fastest-growing LEP for economic growth, productivity and Gross Value Added per head.

"As a region, we have much to be proud of as innovators ourselves in a wide range of sectors. Europe's first multi-million-pound Smart City Mobility Centre is to be established at the University of Warwick's Wellesbourne campus, there has been a significant growth of creative businesses in Coventry and Warwickshire and ten per cent of staff from the UK’s gaming industry work in Coventry and Warwickshire particularly the games sector which currently employs around 2,000 people in the area."