Midhushi (right) with Kaitlyn at the entrance to the UK Nations & Regions Zone, UK Global R&D and Science Investment Summit.
Through the Warwick Enterprise Innovation micro internship programme, I got the opportunity to intern at Midlands Mindforge and help them map out science parks across the Midlands. I mapped out which companies were based in each park, what sectors they operated in, their growth stage, and what funding they had received.
The purpose of this research was to understand what the science parks do and what are the key spinouts these parks generate. I started by going through each science park website manually, working through their tenant lists one by one. This was a tedious process but it helped me to start at a granular level and build the full picture up from there.
Chloe made this internship rewarding. A big thank you to Chloe, who was my main point of contact throughout. She gave me consistent feedback, listened to my insights with genuine interest, and was always happy to answer my questions. That kind of support really helped me gain confidence and build trust in the work I was doing.
Halfway through the internship, I attended the UK Global R&D and Science Investment Summit in London. Kaitlyn and I were there to help the team run the event, scanning IDs at the entrance.
One of the most memorable parts of the day was sitting in on the Fusion STEP programme talk. We heard from Warrick Matthews, CEO of Tokamak Energy, about how the UK is working toward a prototype fusion energy plant by 2044. Hearing about the scale of the ambition, and the investment going into the East Midlands to make it happen, was eye-opening for me. We also got an overview of spinouts coming out of UK universities. One that I particularly found interesting was Newavx, a muscle building technology. I also got to meet Lisa, the CEO of Midlands Mindforge, which was a highlight in itself. It was a great learning experience and we got an exposure that one usually does not get from a lecture. At the summit, I got to meet more of the team members and that made the entire experience even more fulfilling because everyone was so warm and friendly. We ended the day on a perfect note as Kaitlyn showed me around Buckingham Palace.
Leaders from the Midlands at the Midlands Innovation & Investment Reception.
At the summit, I met Josh, who works for Midlands Innovation. He had done some prior research into Midlands science parks and shared his data with me. He also introduced me to a tool . Before that conversation, I was doing everything manually which was time consuming. The tool helped make my research faster and the analysis became stronger. I went to that summit to help run an event. I left with something that improved my entire project. Josh had no obligation to stop and help me. He was from a completely different organisation. But that is what stood out most about this whole experience, that even though people are from different teams and different companies, everyone is willing to go above and beyond for each other.
Before this internship, I thought networking was something people talked about but rarely needed. I was wrong. One conversation with Josh, at an event where I was scanning IDs, reshaped the quality of my work. The internship also showed me what a good team culture feels like. Mindforge was extremely supportive and everyone from the company was genuinely kind.
Midhushi — BSc Business Management, University of Warwick