Enterprise conference opens in Cardiff

Nov 21 2007 by Sion Barry, Western Mail

A FLAGSHIP European research conference on entrepreneurship starts in Cardiff today.

Organised by Cardiff University and the National Entrepreneurship Observatory, the 21st Rent – Research in Entrepreneurship and Small Business – conference is being held at the Millennium Stadium. It is sponsored by the European Council for Small Business and the Welsh Assembly Government.

Prof Dylan Jones-Evans, Director of the National Entrepreneurship Observatory for Wales and conference chairman for Rent, said, “I am delighted that we are hosting this prestigious academic conference in Cardiff for the first time in its history and bringing guests from all over Europe to our capital city.

“Having attended the fourth conference in Durham as a young PhD student, I never imagined that we would, one day, be holding the event here in Wales.

“It demonstrates how far we have come in terms of developing enterprise research during the last few years. Part of this success has been achieved through the activities of the National Entrepreneurship Observatory, a joint project between Cardiff University and the University of Glamorgan.”

The event will see 150 of the leading entrepreneurship academics over two days discuss the latest research and the development of regional and national economies.

Prof Jones-Evans added, “There are many lessons to learn from other economies and equally, I am sure that our visitors will learn more about the efforts to promote enterprise here in Wales through groundbreaking projects such as the Entrepreneurship Action Plan.”

Ieuan Wyn Jones, Deputy First Minister, said, “The Welsh Assembly Government is glad to have had the opportunity to sponsor this flagship conference. Over the next two days, it will provide a platform for some of the most qualified international commentators of SME development and entrepreneurship to present their research papers on some critical and challenging issues which will surely impact keenly on the future success of our various economies.”