Innovation is the lifeblood of progress, and on the 7th of September 2023, the second edition of reSHAPE brought together visionaries, innovators, and thought leaders to celebrate and explore the dynamic world of SHAPE ventures. This annual event, which serves as a nexus for academia, policy, and investment landscapes, was opened by George Freeman, Minister of State in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, and showcased the incredible potential of SHAPE research commercialisation while igniting pivotal debates. Aspect, ARC, the British Academy, the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA), and Aspect Angels collaborated in a unified effort to support the pioneering work being done in the realm of SHAPE research.

The energy of the SHAPE movement reverberated throughout reSHAPE, with a collective excitement emanating from academia and beyond. This excitement was centred on the emerging ventures stemming from SHAPE research, not only in the United Kingdom but also on a global scale. Through platforms like reSHAPE, the united mission of the coalition of partners remains clear: to raise awareness of these ventures, offer unwavering support, nurture the ecosystem that surrounds them, and promote socially responsible innovation.

If last year’s event sought to answer the fundamental question, “What are SHAPE ventures?” this year’s focus shifted towards a deeper understanding of their impact with the question “What do they do?”. With an array of brilliant panels, roundtables, and 

fireside chats, reSHAPE 2023 served as a stage to illuminate the diverse areas that SHAPE ventures address. These encompass everything from enhancing civil society and governance to promoting health and well-being, revolutionising education, driving international development, and enriching the arts.

At its core, reSHAPE reaffirmed a central thesis – that SHAPE ventures are poised to infiltrate virtually every facet of society and the economy. In doing so, they are reshaping how society, the economy, and governments think about and address the multifaceted challenges of the 21st century. The future of SHAPE ventures is undeniably exciting, and we look forward to delving deeper into their transformative potential at the next edition of reSHAPE.

The event photographer was Josh Caius, you can read more about his work and the event here.

A newspaper was created for the event detailing all the ventures involved and including articles on SHAPE commercialisation from the network.

reSHAPE Newspaper

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