On the 27 March 2018, The Innovation South Showcase was held at the all new Farnborough International Exhibition and Conference Centre. Innovation South is a new collaboration between the government and industry to promote the skills and strengths of the South of England’s economy.

Innovation South, is an alliance of companies, Universities and public authorities spanning eight Southern counties from Dorset to Kent, who have come together to champion and promote the South of England as a powerhouse of digital technologies, innovation and international trade.

Invited by Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership to represent Dorset, ORI showcased their current virtual reality surgical simulator and other works across universities, local hospitals, industry partners and the community.

Here is what Professor Middleton (Head of BUORI) had to say in regards to the event: “ORI BU was honoured to represent BU and Dorset at the Innovation South Conference.  We showcased our virtual reality robotic surgical trainer and had great interest and feedback.  I would recommend it to the rest of BU as a place to present our key research projects. “

Rob Dunford, head of programmes at Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership, commented: “The launch of Innovation South was a great showpiece event for the region, marking the next significant milestone in our journey towards putting innovation at the heart of delivering economic growth in the South. The event was extremely well attended by a diverse range of stakeholders from Dorset to Kent and it was fantastic to see ORIBU exhibiting and representing Dorset. Their stand understandably drew a lot of keen attention from attendees and provided a great platform to showcase the world-leading research and innovation taking place at ORIBU, a project that Dorset LEP is proud to have been able to support.”