Applications are open for a unique, funded opportunity for Welsh businesses to attend a groundbreaking R&D Conference at one of the world's most prestigious institutions.
Part-funded by the Welsh Government, the trip in November will cover accommodation, travel and attendance at the Conference, but applications will need to be made by 7 October.
Wales has a long-standing connection with the famous Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Boston through its Industrial Liaison Program, where groups of ambitious entrepreneurs are invited to attend the annual Conference, tour the campus and engage in specialist events.
The programme, normally restricted to industrial partners and blue-chip organisations such as Mitsubishi, BT or Apple, will give Welsh startups and small businesses direct access to the various events, research and entrepreneurial ecosystems associated with the campus.
Previous trips have allowed attendees to focus on developing their innovation skills, as well as identifying routes to trade with the North American market. One piece of feedback said:
“I'm sure many others will echo how instructive and inspiring the trip was. For me in particular, going to Boston really helped me feel up to date and dispelled a sense of impostor syndrome that can sometimes creep in when building from Wales.”
Small business experts Town Square Spaces Ltd (TownSq) facilitate the trip on behalf of the Welsh Government. CEO Gareth Jones said:
“Seven years ago I attended an MIT ILP workshop with Michael Schrage, a research fellow at MIT Sloan, in Cardiff and it was of such a high calibre that I realised we needed to do more to tap into this unique Welsh opportunity. This is now our third trip, and we hope to make it even bigger and better than those that have gone before.
“The purpose of the trip is to bring Welsh entrepreneurs and innovators into the Boston-Cambridge ecosystem to better understand what makes it tick and to develop networks and insights that have the potential to change everything.
“We have three clear goals for the trip: to show founders how they can trade with the North American market, to help them learn about the cutting-edge innovation and R&D happening at MIT, and to develop their own thinking on entrepreneurship and what it takes to make their business succeed.”
The deadline to apply is 7 October, and with only a small number of places available, applicants are advised to get in touch with the team at mit@townsq.co.uk or call 02921 111 252.
