Sponsors

Weightmans LLP

Weightmans is a national Top 60 law firm that aims to be the law firm of choice and the employer of choice. It does excellent work for clients who want an open and honest commercial relationship and enjoy doing business with the firm.
As a client, you can expect to receive a service that is totally results-driven. We understand that contractual relationships work best as partnerships, so we aim to help build on those arrangements in order to help you achieve your business goals. At the same time, we seek and conduct negotiations that bring long-term benefits for all parties.

We are well aware of the problems of achieving growth whilst maintaining stability of your workforce, retaining customer goodwill and protecting your investment. As your trusted advisers, we provide a partner-led service to help you manage all these issues and deal with essential details such as business formations, structures and shareholder agreements.

Whatever the current size of your operations and however ambitious your business plans, we can help you to manage growth, minimise risk and maximise shareholder value.

For further information, please visit our website at www.weightmans.com

Grant Thornton

Grant Thornton UK LLP is a leading business and financial adviser with offices in 28 locations nationwide. We are a member firm within Grant Thornton International Ltd, one of the world's leading international organisations of independently owned and managed accounting and consulting firms. Clients of member and correspondent firms can access the knowledge and experience of 2,600 partners and 30,000 employees in over 100 countries and consistently receive a distinctive, high quality and personalised service wherever they choose to do business.

Grant Thornton in the North, we have two North West offices, Liverpool and Manchester. The North West practice comprises of 27 partners and over 400 staff.
We provide a variety of services from assurance and audit services, advisory services to a host of tax services including research and development tax reliefs. Our client base includes a broad range of clients, from SME's, entrepreneurs, high growth businesses, listed businesses, international groups and large private businesses in a number of sectors including Information Communication and Technology (ICT).

University of Liverpool

The University of Liverpool is a pre-eminent research-based university with 18,000 students pursuing over 400 programmes spanning 54 subject areas.  There are 3 faculties, including Health and Life Sciences; Humanities and Social Sciences; and Science and Engineering. These are organised into 35 departments and schools.

5,000 people work at the University, including nearly 1400 academic and 800 research staff.  They are members of the Russell Group and are ranked by The Times as the UK's 14th largest research university, with a top ten rating for research productivity and industrial grant income.

University of Liverpool is also a sponsor of the bi-monthly Knowledge Economy Business Breakfast.

Harrison Goddard Foote

Harrison Goddard Foote (HGF) is one of the UK's leading full service Patent and Trade Mark agencies.  From our nine offices, we advise on all aspects of intellectual property including; invention identification, branding, patent and trade mark filing and prosecution, design registration, portfolio creation and management, licensing, litigation and dispute resolution.

We also have a sister firm, HGF Law, whose solicitors provide specialist expertise in both litigation and commercial matters across all areas of intellectual property law.

Vanguard Corporate Finance

Vanguard is a unique firm of Chartered Accountants and Business Advisers.  They are the first firm to focus wholly on helping the owners of Merseyside businesses get a better result from their business and build its value.  They do this through working alongside businesses as they develop their strategy, providing hands-on guidance and assistance during profit improvement projects and delivering corporate finance support to those clients who have plans to grow by acquisition.  Vanguard's work covers the full business life cycle from the launch of new businesses with an innovative product or service, through to helping clients to develop and implement succession and exit plans so as to maximize the value earned from their years in the business.

Appleyard Lees

Appleyard Lees is a leading firm of Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys. The firm has major offices in Manchester, Leeds and Halifax and can trace its history back to the 1850s. We always have an eye to the future, though, which is why we have chosen Liverpool Science Park as the best location from which to support our business in Merseyside.

We specialize in protecting intellectual property (IP), including patents, trade marks, designs and copyright. We aim to assist clients in capitalising on the value of their IP and to help them avoid the risks associated with third party rights.

Our attorneys are specialised in many technical fields, including IT, Engineering, Healthcare, Chemistry, Software, Biotechnology and Electronics. Whatever your technology or business, we will have someone to assist, who can speak your language.

W.P. Thompson & Co, Patent and Trademark Attorneys

W. P. Thompson & Co. represents and advises clients in relation to patents, trade marks, designs and copyright.  They are the largest firm of patent and trade mark attorneys in Merseyside, with over 50 staff based at the firm's Liverpool office, and cover all scientific and legal areas of intellectual property.  Their services include obtaining patent protection, defending patents, attacking others' patents, and generally advising on patent matters.  Trade mark specialists also form an integral part of the firm's professional base, and not only obtain trade mark protection but also advise on related issues such as brand protection and business reputation.  The firm additionally has offices in London and Munich, near the European Patent Office.

CBG Group

Insuring Innovation - CBG Group specialise in insurance and financial planning services for commercial and private clients. Based in the North West and London, the group has a specialist Science and Technology division that work with a diverse range of clients from industries such as life sciences, telecoms, medical technologies and IT. 

CBG are not fazed by the new advances in by Science & Technology, instead their dedicated team thrive off the challenges posed in this field. They immerse themselves in the complexities of each individual situation, looking at every area from risk management to bespoke policies. Having more than 120 employees means that the vast cumulative knowledge and experience of the team brings great results without losing the excellent personal service, which CBG pride themselves on offering.

Moving forward, they aim to work closely with you, always making sure you have optimal competitive cover that is in line with any changes in your requirements, and delivered in a professional, efficient and friendly manner.

Liverpool Vision

Liverpool Vision is the city's economic development company. It was established at a critical stage in the city's urban and economic renaissance.

Now the company is enabling Liverpool to complete and accelerate the considerable economic recovery and growth we have witnessed over the last decade. We are focused on building a strong, sustainable economy which can compete more effectively in international markets than ever before.

Liverpool Vision is also a sponsor of the bi-monthly Knowledge Economy Business Breakfast...