Overt STEM has launched in Milton Keynes with a call for stronger collaboration between businesses, educators, government and communities across the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor.
The new platform, founded by Meena Chander through Events Together, brings together a STEM summit and STEM awards programme designed to improve skills, widen inclusion and make innovation more visible across the region. The launch event took place at Lakehurst Park in Milton Keynes and brought together representatives from industry, education, finance, technology and grassroots organisations.
Overt STEM builds on two years of the MK STEM Awards and expands the initiative across the wider corridor. Its aim is to connect organisations that are already doing strong work in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, but which often operate without enough visibility or joined-up support.
Emma Kent, managing director at Leighton Buzzard-based Initivo, opened the event. She said the corridor has major assets, including leading universities, high-growth companies and entrepreneurial support, but warned that the region must do more to unlock talent.
She told guests that the UK faces an estimated 173,000 unfilled STEM vacancies each year. She also highlighted the need to attract people from underrepresented and non-traditional educational backgrounds into STEM careers.
Emma said: “Building the future together captures the essence of what Overt STEM stands for. Our vision is to forge strong links between academia, industry, government and the local community.”
She added that inclusive innovation brings stronger results because it opens the door to different perspectives, more creative problem-solving and better business outcomes.
The Overt STEM summit will be developed as a multi-zone event rather than a traditional conference. Plans include an innovation showcase, pitch arena, careers and pathways zone, collaboration spaces and a learning exchange.
The STEM awards will recognise people, teams and organisations across 22 categories covering education, innovation, leadership, sustainability, inclusion and emerging talent. Organisers say the awards will help make success stories more visible, especially for young people considering STEM careers.
Meena said Overt STEM is intended to be “open, visible, empowered, representative and transformational”. She said the platform would help bridge gaps between education and the workplace, while creating clearer routes into STEM for people of all ages and backgrounds.
She added: “Talent is everywhere, but opportunity isn’t. We’re building visible pathways and tangible opportunities so that people across the Growth Corridor, regardless of background, can thrive and lead in STEM. This isn’t just an event. It’s a movement.”
A panel discussion chaired by Debbie Lewis, Accelerator Community Manager at NatWest, explored how the region can move from conversation to practical action.
Speakers included Ajay Sharman, national lead at STEM Learning UK; Paul Minns of TXM Group; Anatoly Silko, founder of Rocking Tech; Idrees Mohammed, a senior learning and culture leader; and 14-year-old student Maryam Jazeem, a previous MK STEM Awards winner.
Maryam delivered one of the standout contributions of the launch. She said young people are often discussed as the future of STEM, but are not always included in the conversations shaping that future.
She said: “There are so many amazing ideas for the future of STEM, but one action would be to move on from talking about us and start talking to us.”
The discussion also focused on regional talent mapping, the need for more role models, better access to schools, stronger employer engagement and more practical support for apprenticeships.
Paul Minns said employers need to move away from searching for the “perfect hire” and become more open to transferable skills, career returners and emerging talent.
Ajay said aspiration is critical. He argued that young people need to see people like them working in STEM-related roles, including jobs that may not look technical at first glance but still sit within STEM businesses.
Emma closed with a practical message for business leaders, urging them to “buy local” where possible. She said spending with regional suppliers helps keep investment circulating in the corridor and supports the growth of local talent.
Nominations for the Overt STEM awards are now open, with businesses and educators across the region encouraged to get involved via the Overt STEM website.
