i-techpartner, a collaborative innovation network, welcomes innovators and investors from Europe to a vibrant event at the BT Convention Centre next week.

Following the successful event at Daresbury Science & Innovation Campus, Northwest businesses, along with their European counterparts, will again be pitching their technology in the hope of finding partners and investors to grow their fledgling businesses.

This fast paced day and a half conference will host over 60 presentations from eServices businesses (predominantly web based technologies and services) and is part of a pan-European series of events of which the Northwest is the only UK region represented.

Kevin Engel, technology partner from headline sponsor Grant Thornton, said: “Getting in front of the right people can be one of the most significant barriers for a technology business seeking investment. We fully support this event as it will put companies directly in touch with the organisations crucial to assisting their growth, avoiding what can often be a long and drawn out search for a relevant audience.”

This sentiment is backed up by Professor Dennis Kehoe of AIMES, who are leading the project in the Northwest, “What really counts in commercial success is what and who you know. This event will help small companies to source technology to take their business forward, enable entrepreneurs to find their next business opportunity and research leaders their collaborative partner. It fills the gap”

The presentations will benefit from expert panel feedback from fund managers, business support agencies and leading IT businesses (including Sun Microsystems). One to one meetings will be run concurrently to maximise the time at the conference for all. Networking is really the key to success for those involved and plenty of time has been allowed for this including an informal dinner in the evening at an adjacent venue in the Albert Dock.