The role of government in nurturing entrepreneurship will be explored at three policy breakfasts in Whitehall, hosted by the Industry and Parliament Trust at the House of Commons and supported by research from the University of Cambridge Judge Business School (CJBS).
The first event, on Monday (14 July) from 08:30-09:30, will focus on ‘Red Tape Fatigue? The role of government in supporting & encouraging entrepreneurship’. The experiences of leading British entrepreneurs, the challenges faced by people wanting set up their own business and how entrepreneurs could be better supported by Government policy will be the subjects under debate. The forum will be facilitated by a senior decision maker within industry and parliament. A short speech from both the academic and industry practitioner will be followed by a roundtable-style discussion.
The speakers are Peter Hiscocks, Senior Teaching Faculty in Entrepreneurship & Innovation Management at CJBS, and Ken Moon, Chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses Regulatory Reform Committee.
Hiscocks is himself a serial entrepreneur with eight new ventures under his belt. These include Integral Inc – a $50 million consulting company, Ecurie25 – a supercar club and Pod Point – an EV recharging business. Chairman of a £20 million seed-fund that helps fund new business start-ups, Hiscocks teaches innovation management and entrepreneurship on the MBA and other programmes at Cambridge Judge Business School and other departments within the University of Cambridge. He said:
"Despite the extensive public debate around entrepreneurship, the reality is that for those who want to set up businesses on their own it is extremely challenging. In the wake of the financial crisis, big questions have been asked over early stage funding and the broader funding cycle – it is these questions we will be tackling in the first of our roundtables."
The other two events in the series are:
Enterprising UK: how can government & private business work together to grow the economy?
Wednesday 15 October 2014, 08:30-09:30 | House of Commons
Research carried out by Cambridge Judge suggests that creating another ‘vital six per cent’ – the high potential, fast-growth businesses that generate almost 50 per cent of all new jobs in the UK – can only happen through a combination of factors that span very diverse areas. These include the development of strategic management skills, enhancement of boardroom governance experience, access to capital, and the right regulatory environment to spark growth. The second policy breakfast will reflect on this research and focus on what Government and business can do to ensure a more effective environment for entrepreneurs to succeed.
Read more about the second event
Where now for the Big Society? Community enterprise & regeneration
Tuesday 4 November 2014, 08:30-09:30 | House of Commons
The global financial crisis has highlighted the vulnerability of entire populations to the vagaries of market fluctuations and the effects this has on the possibility of effective public policy interventions regarding community enterprise and regional regeneration. The third breakfast will consider the role and potential of community enterprises in supporting regeneration and, importantly, how Government can most effectively support community enterprises that seek to have a positive impact in their local area.
Read more about the third event
Find out more
Read more and register to attend the first roundtable discussion (14 July 2014)
Visit Peter Hiscocks faculty webpage
Visit the Industry and Parliament Trust website
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