IGEM at the Conservative Party Conference 2023

IGEM CEO Oliver Lancaster attended this week's Conservative Party Conference on 1-4 October.

He shares his thoughts on the event here:

"It’s that time of year again - the Party Conference season. This year, the Conservative Party Conference is back in my old stomping ground in Manchester. The huge exhibition space in the MCCC has quite an energy focus this year, with a range of our IGEM Company Members exhibiting.

"The Hydrogen Zone is a central attraction and it’s been great for myself and our President, Andy Musgrave, to represent IGEM and network with all those there.

"There’s also a big presence from the UK industrial clusters and hydrogen producers.

"As always, there’s the plethora of fringe events with speeches, panel discussions and Q&A sessions in the main venue, surrounding hotels and other gathering spaces.

"Clearly, one of the hot topics in conversations is hydrogen and the UK and Devolved Government consultations that are live - like blending - and the need to push for a solution to hydrogen transport and storage business models that are currently too far away for investors.

"The Prime Minister's recent speech on the resetting of net zero was on the agenda, and what positive and negative spins that gives to different perspectives - but it helpfully raised a matter that is clearly still far too light, which is need for open and honest conversations around the whole energy system and the realistic, practical, and deliverable pathway to 2050.

"Consumers have been detached from policy making for a long time, but perhaps that's set to change? But that's all with a backdrop of gearing up to a General Election, the development of manifesto pledges and the next term of government being so critical to making progress with reducing emissions."