Month: June 2026

More than 1,600 local students from 49 schools across east Kent have taken part in the region’s largest ever science jamboree.

The annual two-day event, held at Discovery Park in Sandwich, transformed the science and business park into a hub of exploration and hands-on learning, bringing together young people, businesses and universities to learn about the world of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

Organised by STEM Hub at Canterbury Christ Church University, the jamboree delivers a range of exciting practical scientific experiments and activities for the students to experience how STEM plays a part in everyday life; aiming to inspire them to consider further study and careers in STEM.  

Students stepped into the role of scientists, detectives and engineers as they explored the packed programme bringing STEM subjects to life.

They investigated data science, analysed fingerprints and used forensics to catch a culprit, and discovered the inner workings of the human body and the building blocks of anatomy with academics from Canterbury Christ Church University and Kent and Medway Medical School. 

Industry experts from Discovery Park based Resolian demonstrated the science behind surface tension, using the principles of physics and chemistry to help students create giant bubbles. Meanwhile, Asymchem helped them separate colours in ink and use chromatography techniques to solve the mystery of a stolen sandwich, and Pfizer ran three workshops, including looking at the science behind optical illusions making the students question if what they were seeing was real or if their eyes were playing tricks on them. 

Elsewhere, students took part in moth masterclasses with the Sandwich Bay Bird Observatory Trust, tested their engineering skills building bridges with the Royal Engineers Museum, and learned how to build and create a filter system to provide clean water with Southern Water. 

Each day also featured a spectacular nitrogen science show, where everyday objects were frozen, clouds were created and everyday materials shattered to explain the dramatic effects temperature can have on matter.

Teachers from across Kent remarked at how engaging all the activities were, with their students enjoying the practical elements and were interested in ‘seeing school science come to life’. One primary teacher from Deal commented it was a “great opportunity for pupils to use thinking skills, ask questions of ‘real people’ working in STEM. It was good to be able to watch our future scientists!”.

Pam Lithgow, Director of Specialist Resources and Technical Services at Canterbury Christ Church U

niversity, said: “Once again we are delighted to work in partnership with Discovery Park and see so many young people attend, and enjoy the east Kent Science Jamboree. 

“The event aims to inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers and innovators by giving them first-hand experience of the creativity, problem-solving and the real-world impact of STEM subjects. The jamboree continues to play a vital role in nurturing our future talent across the region, encouraging them to dream big, think freely and see how they can turn their ideas into reality.”

Chris Broom, Head of Business Development, Discovery Park, added: “Discovery Park exists to push the boundaries of science and innovation, and the Science Jamboree is a powerful reminder of why that mission matters. Now in our eleventh year hosting, it brings together an exceptional scientific community to show their work and open young people’s eyes to a career in scienc

e. It comes at a moment when our ambitions for STEM education in the region have never been greater. These are the future researchers, founders and problem-solvers who will shape this industry, and we’re proud to play a role in sparking that ambition early.”

Workshops were delivered by a mix of Discovery Park tenants and organisations from across Kent and beyond, including: Pfizer, Asymchem, Cummins, Resolian, Viatris, Unilabs York Bioanalytical Solutions, Canterbury Christ Church University, Kent and Medway Medical School, CodeKids Canterbury, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, The Royal Engineers Museum, Sandwich Bay Bird Observatory Trust, Southern Water and the National Physical Laboratory.

Discovery Park, Kent’s science and innovation hub, has launched the seventh edition of its Discovery Spark accelerator programme, welcoming 12 startups to its campus in Sandwich.

The seventh cohort is themed around innovations in health, with startups selected based on the need for their innovation, the uniqueness of their solution, and the strength of their team. Throughout June, the selected founders will be attending specialist-led sessions in both Kent and London, focused on investor readiness, covering essential business topics from tax and finance, legal and governance essentials, and risk mitigation to performance and communications insights. The programme culminates with a competitive pitch day on 8 July to a panel of active investors and health specialists. 

First launched in 2023, the business growth programme has already supported 62 companies and 96 founders across six previous cohorts, with alumni securing £5.5m in UKRI funding and counting. Spark is designed to provide opportunities for startups to grow a network of peers, mentors and expert advisors, as part of a friendly and collaborative cohort.

 

Programme Lead Renos Savva, Head of Innovation and Venture Development at Discovery Park, commented: 

“Cohort 7.0 brings together a strong and diverse group of founders — tackling challenges across human and animal health, from chronic conditions to antimicrobial resistance and food allergy. The breadth and quality of applications we’ve received this year has been remarkable, and that’s reflected in the twelve companies we’ve selected. Over the coming weeks, we’ll be working intensively with every team to sharpen their investor narrative, stress-test their commercial strategy, and make sure they leave as investor-ready SMEs, increasing the odds of these fantastic innovations making their way into the hands of patients.”

Cohort 7.0 includes four women’s health focused startups, aiming to close the gender health gap and reduce the persistent diagnosis delays that affect millions of women across the UK.

• Ainia Empower: A femtech app connecting women to clinicians trained in gender-informed care.
• Avline Health: An at-home vaginal microbiome testing providing insight into urogenital, fertility, pregnancy, and hormonal health.
• OvaJoy: A digital health platform supporting people living with Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS, formerly PCOS).
• Vina Health: A digital clinical intelligence platform, aiming to close the 9-year average diagnosis delay for women with chronic pelvic conditions, endometriosis, fibroids, PMOS, and adenomyosis.

The Discovery Spark accelerator is open to UK-based science and technology startups and SMEs from all disciplines, with different themed cohorts throughout the year. Learn more about Discovery Spark and register interest for the next cohort: https://discovery-park.co.uk/lp/discovery-spark/ 

 

Details of 12 companies taking part in Discovery Spark Cohort 7.0 (listed alphabetically) 

 

Ainia Empower 

Ainia is a femtech platform built to close the gender pain gap by connecting women to clinicians trained in gender-informed care. Through an app, patients can track symptoms, identify patterns, and arrive at appointments with clinically meaningful data.

For clinicians, Ainia provides CPD-accredited training, certification in women’s pain and chronic conditions, and access to patient-generated insights before every consultation. 

As the platform grows, so does a proprietary longitudinal dataset, creating the foundation for future diagnostic tools, clinical research, and population-level insights.

 

Avline Health Ltd 

Avline Health is a women’s health life sciences company developing PelviBiomeTM, an at-home vaginal microbiome test and support pathway providing personalised, science-backed insight into urogenital, fertility, pregnancy, and hormonal health.

PelviBiomeTM helps women move from recurring symptoms, unclear explanations, and repeated short-term fixes towards clearer, evidence-informed conversations with healthcare professionals. The pathway combines discreet at-home sample collection, accredited laboratory analysis, personalised reporting, and expert-led interpretation.

 

Dermalere

Dermalere provides personalised prebiotic skincare based on a consumer’s skin microbiome. This is achieved through best-in-class testing, sequencing the skin microbiome using deep shotgun metagenomics. Dermalere then delivers personalised skincare products as a subscription model, using a proprietary model to match microbiome data with active ingredients (prebiotics) and targeted microbial formulations. The valuable microbiome data generated can also be monetised, driving the identification of novel biomarkers and design of small molecules. 

 

EquiCheckAI 

EquiCheckAI is a B2B company for the equine industry, using intelligence to bring immediate benefits to horse care, performance and welfare. Using proprietary technology and AI systems, the company converts daily observations and real world evidence into defensible longitudinal data to improve horse welfare, performance and risk decision making.

 

IgEDAPT

IgEDAPT is a biotechnology company developing next-generation therapeutic approaches for food allergy, aiming to address the challenges associated with real-world accidental exposures. Food allergies affect millions of people worldwide and place a significant physical and emotional burden on individuals and families. IgEDAPT is focused on developing innovative approaches intended to support people living with food allergies in everyday life.

 

Inherit Health 

Inherit Health is creating a secure-by-design, privacy-first digital ecosystem built to bridge the gaps between fragmented patient experiences, clinical decision-making, and research insight. The ecosystem comprises three integrated platforms: a patient-facing Personal Health Record with an app-based UI; a web-based information conduit for GPs; and a ‘smart’ research portal that enables frontline clinical research organisations.

 

In2cell Biosciences 

In2cell Biosciences is building a platform to detect DNA breaks at single-molecule

resolution. Named POLEX™, their advanced platform uses long-read sequencing to read single- and double-strand breaks directly on native DNA, with no PCR and no antibodies. The same read also carries epigenetic information, providing DNA break maps and methylation context from one sample. The company provides B2B services and support

for preclinical genotoxicity testing and CRISPR off-target characterisation in gene therapy. 

 

Modular Clinton Global (MCG) Limited 

MCG is a technology company specializing in supply chain traceability, carbon visibility, and the ‘Physical Internet.’ Through Innovate UK funded projects, they have demonstrated experience in maritime shipping digitization and decarbonization, leveraging AI and blockchain — and are keen to explore how these capabilities could apply within health and life sciences supply chains. They plan to commercialize “Jelly Ice Cube”, a novel cryo-packaging for sensitive biological supply chain resilience and sustainability.

 

OvaJoy 

OvaJoy is a digital health platform supporting people with Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS, formerly PCOS). OvaJoy provides a personalised platform that integrates lifestyle tracking, symptom monitoring, and optional at-home biomarker testing to help people better understand and manage their condition. Currently migrating to a mobile app, OvaJoy is developing a novel approach by combining multiple data sources to deliver structured, evidence-informed guidance for lifestyle interventions.

 

Soule 

Soule is a healthtech company developing an intelligent neurohaptic platform to help support nervous system regulation, stress recovery and sleep. Combining gentle touch-based stimulation through the feet with synchronised audio, Soule is creating a body-led multi-sensory experience designed to help people feel calmer and recover more effectively. 

 

VacTimmune 

VacTimmune is developing next-generation vaccines for antimicrobial-resistant bacterial infections. Antibiotics are becoming less effective, and for infections such

as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, patients are running out of reliable treatment options. VacTimmune identifies vaccine antigens that activate both antibody and cellular immune responses, driving the coordinated immunity actually needed for effective bacterial clearance. VacTimmune’s wider ambition is to build a scalable vaccine company capable of developing vaccines for infections that antibiotics can no longer reliably treat. 

 

Vina Health App Ltd 

Vina Health is a digital clinical intelligence platform closing the 9-year average diagnosis delay for women with chronic pelvic conditions, endometriosis, fibroids, PMOS, and adenomyosis. To support women with articulating months of complex, fluctuating symptoms, Vina’s app allows women to log their symptoms in under 60 seconds daily. The platform generates pattern intelligence across their cycle and produces a structured pre-appointment clinical summary with the longitudinal evidence a doctor needs to act at the first appointment, not the fifteenth.