Waitrose Innovation Forum 2013
Tuesday 12th February 2013, 0945-1640
Royal College Of Surgeons Of England, London
Programme
| 09.00 | Arrival (Tea / Coffee ) |
| 09.30 | What we are trying to achieve! Alan Wilson (Waitrose) |
| Chair for first session: Tim Newton ( tbc ) | |
| 10.00 | Waitrose supply chain – why ecosystem services matter
Simon Potts (Reading University) |
| 10.15 | Questions |
| 10.25 | Carbon sequestration Martin Lukac (Reading University) |
| 10.40 | Questions |
| 10.50 | Coffee |
| Chair for second morning session: Simon Bowen | |
| 11.10 | Soil Health (tbc) Karl Ritz (Cranfield University) |
| 11.25 | Questions |
| 11.35 | Earthworms, soil structure and yield Andy Whitmore (Rothamsted Research) |
| 11.50 | Questions |
| 12.00 | Rhizobacteria Ian Dodd (Lancaster University) |
| 12.15 | Questions |
| 12.25 | Lunch |
| Chair for first afternoon session: Tony Harding | |
| 13.30 | The Communications Portal Bill Davies (Lancaster University) |
| 14.00 | Questions |
| 14.10 | Pollination in orchards Duncan Westbury (Worcester University) |
| 14.25 | Questions |
| 14.35 | Pollinator surveys and Rotations Lynn Dicks (Cambridge) |
| 14.50 | Questions |
| 15.00 | Honey bees Francis Ratnieks (Sussex) |
| 15.15 | Questions |
| 15.25 | Afternoon tea |
| 15.35 | TBC tbc (tbc) |
| 15.50 | Questions |
| 16.00 | Conclusions and Summary Bill Davies (Lancaster) |
| 16.20 | End |
15 minute talks will be followed by 10 minutes for questions. Speakers will focus on their latest research and its application in food production and supply. Funders of the research include NERC, BBSRC, Defra, the EU and the Scottish Parliament. The day will introduce a range of research applications, several of which should be new to suppliers.
Aims & Objectives
The Waitrose Innovations Forums will be led by The Waitrose Centre at Lancaster University.
Each of the forums will:
- Share best practice currently operating within the supply chain
- Keep a specific focus on Waitrose specific values
- Focus on pre-competitive topics
- Provide in-depth coverage of benchmark training programme topics
- Draw on Lancaster expertise
- Align and complement the Waitrose LEAF commitment
- Showcase expertise from other UK and overseas R&D organisations
- Provide significant opportunity for discussion
- Emphasis on new solutions and innovations – not problems
- Consider technical, policy and societal issues
- Act as the basis to consider and develop new collaborative research
- Focus on new, emerging technologies and innovation, not just current practice
In addition to formal presentations there will be significant opportunities for discussion. This aims to ensure that while the days focus on cutting edge and emerging innovations there will be ample opportunity to consider how such innovation can and will translate into real commercial benefit.
The fee for attendance on the day will be £75 for the full day.
Building on feedback from previous events, workshops and discussions with the Waitrose agronomy group, the days have been designed so that they are useful to suppliers and growers of fresh produce both from the UK, Europe and overseas. There will be good opportunity for discussion at the end of each formal session to fully consider how unfamiliar or new concepts can translate from the science labatory into the fresh produce supply chain.