The annual Kent and Medway Business Summit will return in January - with 400 delegates expected to attend .

Hosted by the Kent Business School at the University of Kent, business people, academics and policy-makers will gather at its Canterbury campus on Friday, January 14.

And the region's green future will be top of the agenda as the event returns for its fifth year. This year's event, held in January, was staged online.

It will focus on sustainable innovation and opportunities for firms in the county as we move towards net zero in line with national targets of reaching the goal by 2050.

Among those speakers already confirmed are Roger Gough, leader of Kent County Council; Richard Hicks, deputy CEO of Medway Council; and Phil Eckersley of the Bank of England.

There will also be a focused look at key projects delivered by London Resort, Visit Kent and Creative Estuary.

Dr Catherine Robinson, deputy dean of Kent Business School, will speak on building resilience and increasing productivity in the SME supply chain. Additionally, Simon Barnes, funding and partnership development manager in the university’s research and innovation services will discuss hydrogen’s future role in Kent and if it can supply 20% of energy needs by 2050.

Professor Marian Garcia, dean of Kent Business School, said: "As we start to emerge from the effects of the global pandemic, we have an extraordinary opportunity to create an exciting and sustainable future for our region.

‘The Kent and Medway Business Summit is an opportunity to come together, virtually or face-to-face, to debate and plan for our future and move towards net zero carbon emissions.

"We look forward to providing this platform for collaboration between business of all size and in all sectors with leading academics and local authority leaders.’

Due to the ongoing Covid-19 situation, the format of the event is still under review by the school and its partners. These include the Federation of Small Business, Institute of Directors and Locate in Kent and the Kent Messenger Group - publishers of this website.

To book your place click here.

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