As part of Milton Keynes Tech Week, Whitecap will be running a live assessment of the city’s innovation ecosystem on Friday 16th October 2026.

Milton Keynes is widely recognised as one of the UK’s leading technology and innovation locations. But how strong is the ecosystem that sits behind that success, and what would it take to strengthen it further?

In this interactive MK Tech Week session, Whitecap will use its innovation ecosystem framework to facilitate a live assessment of Milton Keynes. Drawing on the experience of founders, investors, corporates, universities, public sector organisations and ecosystem leaders, we will explore how the city performs across the key ingredients that underpin successful innovation ecosystems.

Together, we’ll examine questions such as:

  • What are Milton Keynes’ greatest innovation strengths?
  • Where are capabilities fragmented or under-connected?
  • What is stopping the ecosystem becoming even more successful?
  • What should the city’s priorities be over the next five years?

This is not about producing a definitive verdict. Instead, the session will harness the collective insight of the people building and supporting the ecosystem every day.

By the end of the session, participants will have contributed to:

  • A live pulse-check of Milton Keynes across six ecosystem dimensions
  • Identification of the assets and capabilities that make MK distinctive
  • Discussion of the barriers limiting ecosystem performance
  • A prioritised set of ecosystem actions and opportunities for the future

If you’re involved in building, funding, supporting or connecting innovation in Milton Keynes, this is a conversation you should be part of. Together we’ll explore what’s working, what’s holding us back, and which actions could have the greatest impact on the city’s future success.

Register your interest here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/who-will-shape-the-next-decade-of-innovation-in-milton-keynes-tickets-2000173139704?aff=oddtdtcreator