LimestoneGrey to Join the 'From Brilliant Science to Big Business' Panel at Climb26

LimestoneGrey’s Managing Director, Matthew Jones, will be attending Climb26 in Leeds, where he is delighted to be speaking as part of ClimbHealth, the life sciences and health innovation programme within the UK’s Festival of Business Growth & Innovation.

Climb26 brings together founders, investors, academics, industry leaders and specialist support organisations to explore the opportunities and challenges facing high-growth businesses. For companies working at the forefront of innovation, it provides a platform to share ideas, build relationships and highlight the strength of the UK’s innovation ecosystem.

Discussing the Journey from Research to Commercial Success

Matthew will be taking part in the panel discussion, “From Brilliant Science to Big Business”, which will explore the journey from scientific discovery through to commercial success. The panel takes place on Wednesday 1 July, 12pm, on the ClimbHealth stage, chaired by Geoff Davison, CEO of Bionow.

He will be joined by Chris Allen, CEO & Co-Founder at Broughton Group, Professor Helen Philippou, CEO at ClotProtect Therapeutics, Karen Davies, Head of Strategic Relationships at Equans Sci-Tech, and Paul Thorning, CEO at CrystecPharma, with each panellist bringing a different perspective on what it takes to transform innovative science into a successful, sustainable business.

For many companies operating in life sciences, med-tech and wider deep-tech sectors, developing innovative technology is only one part of the challenge. Taking that technology forward to commercialisation often requires access to investment, the right partnerships, regulatory understanding, governance and clear strategic planning.

Events such as Climb26 provide an opportunity for founders and growing businesses to hear directly from those who have supported companies through these stages of development.

Why R&D Tax Relief Should Be Part of the Conversation

LimestoneGrey’s contribution to the discussion will focus on funding and the role R&D tax relief can play in supporting innovative businesses, and why it pays to build the right processes around it from an early stage.

R&D tax credits continue to represent a significant source of non-dilutive income for innovative companies. However, the rules have changed significantly in recent years. Increased HMRC scrutiny, additional reporting requirements and a greater emphasis on contemporaneous evidence mean that businesses can no longer afford to view R&D tax relief as a year-end exercise.

Instead, companies benefit from embedding good practice from the outset. Establishing effective systems for tracking qualifying activities, documenting technological uncertainties and capturing project expenditure throughout the year can strengthen future claims, reduce the administrative burden and help businesses maintain compliance as they scale.

This is particularly relevant for companies in the life sciences and deep-tech sectors, where development projects often span several years, involve interdisciplinary teams and require significant investment long before commercial outcomes are realised.

The Value of Collaboration

The strength of UK innovation lies in more than the quality of its science and technology. It also rests on the network of organisations working together to support ambitious companies as they grow.

Bringing together industry, academia, investors and specialist advisers creates opportunities that are difficult to replicate in isolation. Events like Climb26 help sustain this collaboration, helping founders access insight, expertise and connections that can shape their next stage of growth.

Looking Ahead to Climb26

LimestoneGrey is very much looking forward to contributing to the discussion, learning from the other panellists and meeting many of the businesses attending throughout the day.

If you are attending Climb26, please do come along to the session or say hello.

Thank you to Bionow for inviting LimestoneGrey to be part of the panel. We are delighted to contribute to what promises to be an insightful and valuable discussion.