• Over 380 students are expected to participate across the UK, the biggest number to date
  • Interactive workshops will be held at BioCity Nottingham on October 9, and on October 10 at Kent Science Park, Hexagon Tower in Manchester, BioCity Glasgow, Edinburgh Technopole, Colworth Science Park in Bedford, and MediCity Nottingham

Pioneer Group, in collaboration with educational charity Ignite!, will host the sixth annual Ada Lovelace Day event this week, with over 380 students expected to participate across the UK, the biggest number of attendees to date. This annual celebration seeks to amplify the presence of women in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), offering inspiration and guidance for future generations of aspiring STEM professionals.

Taking place on Monday, 9 October, and Tuesday, 10 October, the event features an array of engaging activities designed to inspire and educate young minds.

On Monday, Pioneer Group will host interactive workshops for local year six pupils from three primary schools, held at BioCity Nottingham.

Tuesday sees the expansion of the celebration, with six additional Pioneer Group locations across the UK taking part – MediCity Nottingham, Kent Science Park, Hexagon Tower in Manchester, BioCity Glasgow, Edinburgh Technopole, and Colworth Science Park in Bedford – each hosting engaging STEM workshops for a total of 21 secondary schools.

These dynamic workshops will be facilitated by tenant companies located within Pioneer Group’s locations, who have generously volunteered their expertise. Distinguished tenant companies such as Unilever, Lipton Tea and Infusions, NuVision, Jazz Pharmaceuticals and Biobest will lead captivating sessions throughout both days. Topics covered during the workshops include exploring marketing and communication in the STEM sector, understanding patent law, and gaining insight into food production in laboratory settings.

Julia Fentem, Unilever Global Head of Safety, Environmental & Regulatory Sciences, is participating in Ada Lovelace Day by doing a Q&A session at the event at Colworth Science Park. Julia comments: “Encouraging more girls to follow careers in STEM is something that Unilever’s R&D scientists at Colworth are passionate about. So we are very pleased to participate in Ada Lovelace Day and hopefully inspire girls from several local schools by sharing how we apply science and technology in developing innovative new products.”

Born in 1815, Ada Lovelace collaborated with inventor Charles Babbage on his general-purpose computing machine, the Analytical Engine. In 1843, Lovelace published what we would now call a computer program to generate Bernoulli Numbers. Lovelace was the first person to foresee the creative potential of the Engine. Her vision of computing’s possibilities was unmatched by any of her peers and went unrecognised for a century. Ada Lovelace Day on 10 October was founded by Suw Charman-Anderson in 2009 as a celebration aimed at highlighting the achievements of women in STEM fields and fostering the creation of new role models who can inspire young individuals to pursue STEM careers. Pioneer Group, in partnership with Ignite!, have been hosting events in celebration of this occasion since 2018.

Dr Lisa Thomas, venture development partner at Pioneer Group, comments: “It’s a privilege to be involved with this event which is inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers. My passion for science started when I was a schoolgirl, so I’m very pleased Pioneer Group and ignite! are hosting such a great programme for these young scientists at the beginning of their journey. This year, we are delighted to extend the event across seven of our Pioneer locations, connecting more schools across the UK with our fantastic community of STEM companies.”

Megan Shore, communications executive at Ignite!, said: “We are so pleased to see this event go from strength to strength each year, and to see more and more pupils be able to see behind the scenes and find out about the most innovative and ground-breaking science following the legacy of Ada Lovelace. It’s been fantastic to see the ambition of the project grow, now with sites right across the UK taking part”.