People

LIFETIME FELLOWSHIP AWARD DINNER

By | December 1st, 2022|Categories: News, People, Technology|

Dec 1, 2022 THE ROYAL HORSEGUARDS HOTEL, Whitehall, London The Venue The Royal Horseguards Hotel was built between 1886 and 1892 as part of a bigger development called Whitehall Court, which housed superior flats whose residents included William Gladstone, Lord Kitchener, George Bernard Shaw, H.G Wells and the younger brother of Tsar Nicholas II. Parts of the hotel were later used by the forerunners of MI5 and MI6, being handily located to the old War Office. The National Liberal Club is located within the complex. Winston Churchill was a member in his younger [...]

Comments Off on LIFETIME FELLOWSHIP AWARD DINNER

THE ELECTRIFIED DRIVE TRAIN DINNER FORUM

By | September 22nd, 2022|Categories: News, People, Technology|

SEP 22ND 2022 THE COMMON ROOM, NEWCASTLE ON TYNE The Venue The Common Room describes itself as a celebration of Graft and Glory. This reflects the fact it was once the home of the former Mining Institute which played a leading role in the Industrial Revolution. Its aim is to continue building on that legacy promoting technologies that enable sustainability. It was therefore entirely appropriate for a Bessemer Dinner. The Institute was founded in 1852 on the present site, shortly before Henry Bessemer announced his disruptive steel invention, arguably at the peak of [...]

Comments Off on THE ELECTRIFIED DRIVE TRAIN DINNER FORUM

GLOBAL BRITAIN, SCIENCE SUPER POWER DINNER

By | June 30th, 2022|Categories: News, People, Technology|

Jun 30th, 2022 HARWELL CAMPUS, OXFORD The Venue The Harwell site has grown to become the leading showcase of an advanced cluster, housing the Rutherford-Appleton Laboratory (RAL) and Diamond Light Source on the government-owned part of the site, alongside rapidly-growing private investment in research and manufacturing facilities on the adjoining campus. I have watched this growth over the past 15 years under different ownerships. Now under the new ownership of Brookfield, one of the largest property and investment firms in the world, their plans are to expand it faster still. We held our [...]

Comments Off on GLOBAL BRITAIN, SCIENCE SUPER POWER DINNER

LIFETIME FELLOWSHIP AWARD DINNER

By | January 20th, 2022|Categories: News, People, Technology|

Dec 2, 2021 THE IRONMONGERS’ HALL, Barbican, London The Venue The history of the Ironmongers’ Company dates back over 700 years with its roots in the iron trade. It is one of the Great XII livery companies. It has occupied four previous halls, the last destroyed by a bomb dropped during World War I. The present Hall stands on land which was bought in 1922 and was opened on 17 June 1925. Henry Bessemer was not a member of the Company, as the Ironmongers do not admit members if they belong to another [...]

NATIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR STRATEGY

By | November 30th, 2021|Categories: News, People, Technology|

City of London Club NOVEMBER 11TH 2021 The Evening The evening brought together key parts of the semiconductor industry to consider the need for a National Semiconductor Industry Strategy. 80 guests attended, which included government officials, investors and industry. The Venue A view of the neo-classical 1834 facade. The City of London Club is a point of continuity in the financial centre, the skyline of which changes almost daily as another Cheese Grater or Gherkin building goes up. The building was completed in 1834 making it the oldest Club in the [...]

The Battery Investor Forum

By | November 10th, 2021|Categories: News, People, Technology|

Sept 16 2021 Venue: Worcester College The Evening The purpose of the evening was to demystify the battery sector for an investor audience. Nearly 30 investment firms attended from out of a total of 105 guests. The event comprised a (gentle) Dragons’ Den, Self-Intros by Bessemer members, speakers at dinner, discussion and active networking. The Venue In the photograph, the Dining Hall is located behind the colonnades, occupying half the space of the ground floor, with its entrance to the far right. Beneath it are medieval cellars which have been converted to a [...]

HARD TECH ROAD TO WESTMINSTER

By | February 27th, 2020|Categories: News, People, Technology|

February 27th, 2020 Venue: The House of Commons Churchill Room A perfectly-named room to host the battling Hard Tech community inside the Corridors of Power. The bust of Sir Winston peered out discreetly from an alcove behind our speakers’ table. The purpose of the dinner was to bring the Bessemer entrepreneur hard tech community front and forward with policy makers at the House of Commons for better mutual understanding, with the support of the Foundation for Science and Technology. THE FOUNDATION FOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY The Foundation brings together representatives from Parliament, government, [...]

LIFETIME FELLOWSHIP AWARD DINNER

By | January 3rd, 2020|Categories: News, People, Technology|

LONDON - November 20, 2019 Venue: THE CITY OF LONDON CLUB, Broad Street, EC1 The City of London Club exudes the club-like atmosphere of the old City, at the very heart of the financial community, and seemed a suitable location for the Award of our Lifetime Fellowship to Dr Drew Nelson, CEO and co-founder of IQE plc, which is listed on the AIM market. The Club building was completed in 1834, almost adjacent to the previous site of the Stock Exchange. Sir Henry Bessemer would have been 19 years of age at that [...]

A SOVEREIGN EV SUPPLY CHAIN

By | December 11th, 2019|Categories: Events, People|

Warwick University Campus OCTOBER 15TH 2019 The aim of the evening was to consider how the UK automotive industry can establish an indigenous supply chain for electric vehicles, keeping in mind the consequences if it fails. Seventy guests attended. After-dinner conversations continued for a long time before some re-grouped at the nearby hotel bar for night caps. WMG Warwick Manufacturing Group WMG’s position as an automotive centre of excellence means Warwick hosts many conferences, which is reflected in the professionalism of the Conference staff. The venue itself is very functional, which is not [...]

LIFE SCIENCE MANUFACTURING

By | August 5th, 2019|Categories: Events, People|

RHODES HOUSE - JULY 4TH, 2019 Our summer dinner took place once again in the vast timber-framed hall of Rhodes House, on a perfect summer’s evening. Rhodes House is our flagship Oxford event of the year. Its generous space and architectural merit help to raise the prominence of the dinner and to improve the discussion as well no doubt, thus to ensure the best possible evening for all the guests. The topic of the evening - manufacturing in life sciences - was highlighted in the Life Sciences Industrial Strategy, authored by Sir John [...]