Innovation Festival 2026 events

Core events

Partnership Excellence Awards 2026

Wednesday, 7 October 2026, 6.30pm–11pm

The inaugural Partnership Excellence Awards celebrate outstanding collaborations, partnerships and knowledge exchange activity delivering impact across our university and beyond.

*Invite only.

Academics, Researchers, Partners, Colleagues

Innovation Festival 26 banner for the Cambridge × Manchester Partnership Investor Summit, featuring a dark city street with bicycles and a striped circular graphic.

The Cambridge x Manchester Partnership Investor Summit

Thursday, 8 October 2026, 1pm–4.30pm

Convening investors, institutional ventures and innovation leaders for live debates exploring growth capital, scaling innovation and regional competitiveness, alongside a curated showcase of high-potential ventures from across the innovation ecosystem.

*Invite only.

Investors, Policymakers, Leaders

Fringe events

Black-and-white image of an AI robot and digital background.

AI Innovation Café

Wednesday, 7 and Friday, 9 October 2026

Explore the art of the possible with AI through live demonstrations in the new AI Innovation Lab, showcasing Pathfinder projects and new technologies. Interactive sessions will inspire discussion and collaborative ideas.

*Booking information to come

Academics, Colleagues, Students

Exploring campus

While visiting Ģ��Ƶ you may wish to also explore our campus, including historic buildings and some of our renowned cultural institutions.

Find out more about our campus.

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Events