HotHatch is part of the expanding Knowledge Dock. It includes hot-desk, networking and pre-incubation facilities for business start-ups and the Athena women’s entrepreneurship project. Entrepreneurs will also have access to Knowledge Dock’s innovation services, student and graduate placement schemes and expert centres including the Fabric Print and Design Bureau (Fab Pad), Product Design Lab (PDL) and Simlab.

Baroness Uddin said: “I vigorously support and commend the launch of this important initiative for the people of East London and the Thames Gateway. Supporting a culture of entrepreneurship is one of the most important things that our government and universities can do to promote a sustainable and diversified economy here in East London.”

“Our region has a strong tradition of success in the area of entrepreneurship. Some of the leading individuals in the field come from amongst us and we intend that this additional measure of support can help inspire and train the next generation of entrepreneurial leaders to make their mark on our society starting right here”.

Events included workshops on starting your own business, early stage funding and economic development and regeneration. Exhibitors ranged from London 2012 and the London Development Agency to the East London Inventors Club, EMPOWER project and UEL Entrepreneurs Society.

Knowledge Dock Director Richard Wheeler said: “The HotHatch is an exciting new development for the Knowledge Dock. We believe that it is the perfect supportive environment for budding entrepreneurs to test the strength of their business ideas.

“If you have a great idea, we can offer advice and guidance from experienced business mentors, and the opportunity to work in professional surroundings in the company of like-minded people. Above all, we want these new businesses to be sustainable and the Hot Hatch is a tremendous opportunity to really help start-ups plan for long-term prosperity”. 

Ian Livingstone, Founder and Creative Director of EIDOS, and Chair of Skillset, the skills council for the creative industries, said: “In Britain, people say ‘why?’ rather than ‘why not?’. Parents don’t encourage their kids to be entrepreneurs; they encourage them to go into banking, accountancy, law, and the service industries. But Americans are encouraged to set up businesses – they enjoy success but are not afraid of failure. This is what HotHatch is all about.”

 

The Knowledge Dock award for Enterprise and Innovation Partnership was made to Mike Byrne, Chairman of the Thames Gateway Manufacturing Group and Director of Newton Equipment Ltd, a Barking-based manufacturer of high performance auto and aviation fuel fillers, which employs many UEL students both full-time and on projects including Knowledge Transfer Partnership and Shell Technology Enterprise Programme. He said: “UEL is a fantastic university to work with, and events like today help spread the word about all the great facilities available here.”

To find out more about HotHatch click here. Alternatively, call Thorsten Klein or Sujata Vaishnav on 020 8223 7603.

© Knowledge Dock 2006