Welsh entrepreneurs offered chance to attend conference at Boston’s MIT

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Business owners and startups in Wales can apply for fully-funded places to attend a research and development conference at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston.

Part-funded by the Welsh Government, the trip in November will cover travel, accommodation, and conference entry fees for successful applicants. The deadline for applications is October 7.

The visit is being organised on behalf of the Welsh Government by Ystrad Mynach-based enterprise support company TownSq, co-operators of Ffos Caerffili.

Attendees will gain access to MIT’s Industrial Liaison Program – an initiative usually restricted to large firms such Apple and BT – allowing small businesses to tour the campus, meet international research teams, and explore trade routes into the North American market.

TownSq Chief Executive 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.”

Applications close on October 7, with a limited number of places available. Interested business owners can apply by emailing mit@townsq.co.uk or calling 02921 111 252.