Events Archives - Discovery Park

The Lab of the Future & Green Chemistry Innovation

Overview

Explore AI, automation & green chemistry transforming pharma. Free event with expert talks, exhibition & exclusive facility tours.

The pharmaceutical and life sciences sector is changing fast. AI is accelerating drug discovery. Automation is reshaping the lab. Sustainability is no longer optional. This event puts you at the centre of it all.

Join industry leaders, researchers and technology innovators at Discovery Park — one of the UK’s premier science and innovation campuses — for a focused half-day exploring what the future of pharma and life sciences looks like in practice.

What to expect:

Expert-led sessions on digital laboratories, AI in drug discovery, green chemistry and sustainable manufacturing
An exhibition showcasing cutting-edge laboratory technologies and sustainable solutions
Exclusive guided tours — including the laboratories and pilot plant at Asymchem’s advanced facility, a hub for clinical small molecule development and GMP manufacturing, equipped with sustainability-focused flow chemistry and biotransformation screening. Guests can also tour Discovery Park’s laboratory and innovation spaces, showcasing the facilities behind the site’s life sciences and biotech community
Focused networking with peers across pharma, biotech, research and manufacturing

Whether you’re working at the bench, leading an R&D function or driving operational change, this is a rare opportunity to see tomorrow’s lab today — and to connect with the people building it.

Sponsored by Asymchem, Venner Shipley, Particology and the IChemE Pharma Group.

This is a free event. Places are limited — reserve your free place now.

Register online

£1 Rediscovery Charity Sale

⏰ 10:00-16:00

Bag a bargain and make a difference! Our onsite charity shop is holding their increasingly popular £1 Sale – every purchase helps support the local community. Everyone welcome. Free parking at Discovery Park’s Visitor Centre.

If you’re having a clear out, the Rediscovery team would love your donations of pre-loved clothes (especially children’s), books, homeware and more. Drop off point at The Visitor Centre.

Join us at the Big STEM Showcase 2027!

The Big STEM Showcase is a free, hands-on STEM Fair that brings together schools, teachers, families, and businesses to celebrate the power of science, technology, engineering, and maths. Alongside interactive exhibits from leading STEM organisations, visitors will enjoy the exciting final of the Big STEM Challenge competition.

Event details:
📅 Date: Friday, 5th March 2027
🕘 Exhibitor setup: from 9:00 AM
🕙 Showcase open to visitors: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
📍 Venue: The Gateway, Discovery Park, Sandwich CT13 9FG
🎟️ Cost: Free to exhibit and attend

We believe STEM has the power to change the world — and we’re here to celebrate the young minds who are leading the way.

We’re inviting schools, teachers, support staff, and families to an inspiring morning of innovation at the Big STEM Showcase 2027, a free, hands-on STEM Fair hosted at the incredible Discovery Park.

Explore the brilliant work of our Big STEM Challenge finalists and enjoy interactive displays and activities from some of Kent’s leading science, technology, engineering, and maths businesses. Whether you’re a teacher looking to inspire your students or a parent keen to spark curiosity in your child, this event is not to be missed!

Booking deadline: 8.01.2027

Book here

Coffee and Connect

📅 Wednesday, 16^th September⏰ 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM 📍 Barclays Eagle Labs, Discovery Park

Coffee and Connect – an opportunity for networking and socialising with other tenants.

RSVP

Help to Grow: Management Courses

Join other senior leaders taking part in a practical management training course delivered by Canterbury Christ Church University.

Starting 6 October 2026

Join SME senior leaders taking part in a practical management training course delivered by Canterbury Christ Church University accredited by the Small Business Charter.

The Help to Grow: Management Course runs over 12 weeks and includes online and face-to-face sessions, 1-to-1 mentoring and peer networking. With just one session a week, it is designed to fit around existing work and personal commitments. You will finish the course ready to lead on the delivery of increased profitability, innovation and growth.

Designed and delivered by industry experts, it’s full of practical, actionable learning that will help you lead and deliver change in your business.
Business-focussed learning – position your business for success with modules covering vision, mission and values, employee engagement, strategy and innovation.
Learn from your peers – share experiences and ideas while building a local network.
Tailored plan for your business – work with an experienced mentor to tackle your business challenges and develop a tailored growth action plan.

This course is open to businesses that have been in operation for 12+ months and have 5-249 employees.

“For me it has been a professional journey and a personal one, as I’ve been able to ask a lot of questions, gain a lot of understanding about myself as a leader and to really understand the best ways I can manage people, my flaws certainly and ways to develop that.”

For more information, contact: htgmanagement@canterbury.ac.uk

or visit: canterbury.ac.uk/study-here/short-courses/help-to-grow-management-courses

Discovery Park Christmas Market

December 8, 2026
11:30 AM – 2:30 PM
The Gateway, Discovery Park

Get into the festive spirit with unique gifts, tasty treats, and good vibes at the Discovery Park Christmas Market!

Join us at Discovery Park on December 8, 2026 at 11:30 AM (GMT) for a fun and festive Christmas Market! Enjoy browsing unique stalls & tasty treats, in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere. Perfect for picking up gifts or just soaking in the seasonal cheer. Don’t miss out on the holiday spirit right in the heart of Discovery Park – see you there!

Register Online

If you would like a stall, please book on the link below.

Book a stall

IOSH Managing Safely

Date: 28th to 30th September 2026
Time: 9am to 4pm

This three-day IOSH-approved safety training programme will give delegates the knowledge they need to help ensure safety in the workplace and prevent accidents. It is designed for managers and supervisors with responsibility for people or processes and will provide a basic, but broad and sound understanding of current health and safety requirements and principles. All of Make UK’s CMIOSH tutors have at least 10 years of experience delivering IOSH Managing Safely and this shows in our 100% delegate pass rate.

Course Content

Responsibilities and accountabilities – requirements of managers with regards to health and safety
Legal requirements – health and safety law
Risk assessment – key steps and control strategies
Health and safety management systems – benefits and key elements
Accident causation and investigation – root cause and human factors
Hazards in the workplace – identification and control
Monitoring – using active and reactive measures to monitor health and safety performance

BOOK ONLINE

Toasted Sandwich Toastmasters

11:45-13:00

Barclays Eagle Labs, Discovery Park

What If One Hour a Week Could Change Everything?

Have you ever wished you could express yourself more clearly in meetings? Speak with confidence in front of a group? Or simply feel more at ease sharing your ideas?

If so, you’re not alone — and you’re not without options.

Join us for an engaging session where we’ll explore the world of Toastmasters — a global community that’s helped millions of people become better communicators, stronger leaders, and more confident individuals.

In this session, you’ll discover:

What really happens in a Toastmasters meeting
How you can build skills that boost your career, enrich your relationships, and elevate your everyday conversations
Why Toastmasters is one of the most supportive, empowering environments for personal growth

Whether you’re a seasoned speaker or someone who avoids the spotlight, this talk is for you. Come curious — leave inspired.

Reserve your free spot here.

OBN BioSeed

Owned and organised by OBN, BioSeed is a fast-paced, one-day pitching event where innovative early-stage life sciences companies seeking seed funding, showcase to and meet with an extensive audience of active life sciences investors.

BioSeed attendance is exclusively for:

Early stage R&D companies seeking seed stage funding – all therapy and technological areas are welcome
Technology Transfer teams from academic institutions seeking funding for their spin out companies
Life sciences Investors looking for new funding opportunities
A limited number of corporate and industry sponsors

Find out more

Sustainability Breakfast November 2025

⏰ 08:00 – 10:00 AM

Join us for our final sustainability breakfast of the year at the Barclays Eagle Lab in Discovery Park

This free event will be an opportunity to network with likeminded businesses in the area and discuss the sustainability related issues facing the world. We’ll also hear from a range of speakers about what they’re doing in their particular industries, and what sustainable practices you can take away to address your own goals.

A light breakfast will be provided from 8:30am, featuring locally sourced food and drink.

Speaker Profiles:

Martin White: Four years ago under lockdown, and as part of his personal journey towards greater self-awareness of the environment and climate change, Martin founded his own sustainability consultancy Green Business Hub. Martin now advises a diverse range of private and public sector clients on their ESG strategy, encouraging them to think more holistically about sustainability rather than solely focusing on climate action and ‘Net Zero’ – because they have to – to include alignment with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and increasingly ‘Social Value Add’ frameworks.

Andrew Pledger: Andrew is the Ecosystem Manager at Barclays Eagle Labs in Discovery Park. The Eagle Labs mission is to connect the UK’s entrepreneurial ecosystem through a network of business incubators, expertise and support. With access to over 325 years of business expertise and connections, Eagle Labs are a community resource available for everybody. Whether you’re an inventor, an innovator or a mentor, Eagle Labs spaces are conducive to nurturing and growing your idea with support from Barclays and the Eagle Labs network.

More speakers to be announced shortly.