- 90% of attendees rated the social either Excellent or Very Good*
- 100% of attendees either made new useful contacts or progressed existing relationships *
- Both Sheffield universities provided teaser demonstrations on food sustainability
Thursday 24th October saw the annual MD Club Social take place at Saw Grinders Union, nestled in one of Sheffield’s oldest industrial districts, Kelham Island. MD Club socials take place each year and are an excellent opportunity for like-minded Sheffield City Region businesses and academics from both Sheffield universities to come together and explore partnerships and knowledge exchange in an informal setting.
Guests were welcomed by Eleanor Edey, Regional Partnerships Development Officer at the University of Sheffield, and the MD Club team
Eleanor opened the event welcoming both new and familiar faces, introducing the interactive experiences and highlighting collaboration success stories from MD Club members. Kevin Parkin, Chairman of Parkin Ltd and Chairman of the newly formed MD Steering Group, gave a further welcome highlighting the important role of the MD Club to draw together this regional network of academics and industry.
The Autumn Social provided two teaser experiences for the first MD Club event of 2020 which will focus on food sustainability. Dr Cecile Morris and Michael Benson from Sheffield Hallam University’s Business School spoke on the success of the ‘Food Innovation Consultancy Challenge’ where a final year student project with ASDA won high acclaim for its contribution to reducing the sugar content in its own brand biscuits. Christian Reynolds, Knowledge Exchange Research Fellow at the University of Sheffield, showcased the ‘Climate Change Food Challenge’ game that provides an interactive way to learn more about the carbon footprint of our food.
Communications Consultant Lucy Harper spoke with attendees regarding the MD Club campaign to capture stories about the innovative partnerships between the region’s businesses and Sheffield’s universities, demonstrating the opportunities and routes available for collaboration. This includes commercial and research partnerships, student placements or graduate recruitment through the Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP). We’ll shortly be sharing examples of how companies such as The Floow, Maxons Sweets and Lablogic have utilised the MD Club network to further successful collaborations and company growth. Please contact Bryony Price on bryony.price@sheffield.ac.uk if you have a similar story to share.
* Of surveyed attendees.
