The event allowed participants to find out about the fully funded support available through the College Local Innovation Centres (CLIC) project, a 12-month pilot project funded by the Innovate UK Further Education Innovation Fund, which is dedicated to driving digital innovation and productivity across the region.

As well as hearing from Principal and Chief Executive of the College, Stella McManus, members of the SLC CLIC team, Anne Doherty, Iona Oliver and Neil McKay also presented alongside two guest speakers.

Delegates enjoyed inspiring and thought-provoking keynote speeches from Chief Sustainability Officer at Advanced Clothing Solutions (ACS), Michael Cusack and Business Responsibility Manager at Morgan Sindall (Construction), Elizabeth Halliday.

Providing support on both innovation strategy development and using sector-leading tools and techniques to simplify and structure innovation, the College’s Innovation Centre is one of six aligned with Glasgow City Region’s economic priorities.

Principal and Chief Executive of South Lanarkshire College, Stella McManus said: “This is an incredibly exciting project to be part of. I’m a firm believer that innovation starts with collaboration and the CLIC initiative presents the perfect platform to work with our local business community, offering opportunities to educate, grow, upskill and expand to increase productivity.

“It was fantastic to see such support from our exhibitors on the day, KTP Centre, Hub South West Scotland, South Lanarkshire Council and Business Gateway Lanarkshire.

“Alongside our partner Colleges, the aim is to engage with more than 200 businesses across Glasgow, Inverclyde, North and South Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire, and West Dunbartonshire.”

Anne Doherty, Head of Alternative Funding at South Lanarkshire College, said: “Building relationships, exchanging good practice, experience and knowledge to explore, and create new approaches for efficiency and growth was one of the key highlights from the event. We were delighted to have two such engaging and motivational speakers in Michael and Elizabeth.

"They both shared powerful journeys to drive decarbonisation within their businesses, reducing and repurposing resources for continuous efficiency. They also highlighted that fostering strong relationships, empowering teams and embedding a culture of innovation is a driver for transformation for good.”

To find out more about the College Local Innovation Centres (CLIC) project and all six Innovation Centres, please visit the CLIC website - https://www.clic.network/