Lateral at the NLA Innovation Summit 2025

On 2 April, our Co-Founder Rob Beacroft spoke at the NLA Innovation Summit 2025, held at Guildhall. The event brought together leaders from across London’s innovation, academic, civic, and development sectors, including Hugh Brady (President, Imperial College London), Laura Citron (CEO, London & Partners), and Angela Kukula (CEO, MedCity) .

The summit explored how London’s innovation economy can deliver inclusive growth, skills development, and entrepreneurship, aligned with the ambitions of the London Growth Plan.

Rob joined a panel discussion to share Lateral’s perspective on developing dynamic innovation ecosystems that support life sciences, technology, and research-led industries, while also generating wider community benefits. He emphasised that innovation districts must consider not just workspace, but the broader ecosystem requirements that help companies thrive. This includes innovative living models that tackle affordability challenges and add value for innovation companies by helping them attract and retain talent — a theme closely linked to Lateral’s work on co-living for the innovation sector.

Key themes from the panel included the role of public-private partnerships, the importance of placemaking strategies, and the need for innovation districts to create clear pathways into skills and opportunity.

Being part of this summit reinforced our belief that innovation and inclusivity must go hand in hand, ensuring London’s growth delivers long-term value for both the economy and its communities.