Innovation at Venturefest West Midlands

Uni Smart Solutions attends Venturefest West Midlands

Uni Smart Solutions joined entrepreneurs, investors and innovators from across the region for a day dedicated to collaboration, technology and business growth.

The event, which took place on 10 March 2026, is recognised as one of the leading innovation and entrepreneurship conferences in the West Midlands. It brings together startups, industry experts and investors to exchange ideas, explore partnerships and showcase emerging technologies. Venturefest West Midlands is organised with support from organisations including the West Midlands Combined Authority and the Innovation Alliance for the West Midlands.

Industry Innovation

Representatives from Uni Smart Solutions attended the conference to network with industry professionals, learn about new developments in technology and innovation, and explore potential opportunities for collaboration. The event featured keynote speakers, panel discussions and interactive workshops covering topics such as artificial intelligence, digital transformation, investment and sustainability.

Throughout the day, delegates had the opportunity to connect with business leaders, startup founders and investors from across the region. The conference also hosted an exhibition area where organisations presented innovative products and services, allowing attendees to discover new ideas shaping the future of business and technology.

Opportunity for Change

For Uni Smart Solutions, attending the conference provided an opportunity to gain insight into current industry trends while building connections with organisations that support business growth in the West Midlands. Events like Venturefest West Midlands play an important role in strengthening the region’s innovation ecosystem by encouraging collaboration between start ups, established businesses and investors.

Building with plants

As the West Midlands continues to position itself as a hub for technology and entrepreneurship, participation in events such as this allows companies like Uni Smart Solutions to stay engaged with the latest developments and contribute to the region’s growing innovation community.

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Uni Smart attends Innovating to Net Zero Event

Innovating to Net Zero

Uni Smart Solutions recently attended the Innovating to Net Zero conference and exhibition, hosted by Energy Systems Catapult at Millennium Point, where leading energy experts, policymakers, and innovators gathered to explore the future of the UK’s energy system and the pathways to achieving Net Zero by 2050.

Recognised as one of the UK’s premier events focused on energy transition, Innovating to Net Zero brought together a diverse range of organisations, including SMEs and clean technology innovators, to share insights and showcase cutting-edge technologies designed to help the UK deliver a smarter, cleaner and more secure energy system.

Representing Uni Smart Solutions at the event was Managing Director Chris Goff, who joined discussions examining the growing challenges facing the UK energy system as demand for electricity increases through the electrification of transport, heating and industry.

Not just where your energy comes from but how it’s used

A key message from the event was the need for an energy system capable of managing growing and shifting gaps between energy supply and demand. Industry experts emphasised that the next phase of the energy transition will not be driven solely by new energy generation, but also by improving how energy is used within buildings.

As electricity demand continues to rise, organisations will require greater visibility of how energy is consumed across their estates. Real-time data, operational insight and smarter energy management were highlighted as critical tools to help reduce waste, improve efficiency and support more informed investment decisions.

For Chris Goff, the discussions reinforced the strategic direction Uni Smart Solutions has already taken in supporting organisations on their sustainability journeys.

“A major theme from the event was the importance of real-time data and energy flexibility within buildings. This aligns closely with the approach we have taken at Uni Smart, where we focus on turning building data into actionable insights that organisations can use to make better operational and investment decisions.”

Through its Eco Pulse Smart Building Managed Service, Uni Smart Solutions helps organisations gain greater visibility of building performance by integrating technologies such as smart lighting, sub-metering, occupancy intelligence and air quality monitoring.

Insight, not just data

However, the company’s approach goes beyond simply providing dashboards or raw data. Instead, Eco Pulse focuses on translating building data into clear operational insights that help organisations identify inefficiencies, prioritise improvements and build the business case for energy-saving investments.

As the UK’s energy system becomes increasingly electrified and complex, buildings will play a crucial role in supporting the transition by improving efficiency, providing energy flexibility and enabling smarter energy management.

Insights from the Innovating to Net Zero event highlight the growing importance of data-driven buildings in achieving Net Zero — an area where Uni Smart Solutions continues to support organisations across the education, manufacturing and commercial sectors as they work towards more sustainable operations.

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Halesowen College Sets a New Sustainability Benchmark with Smart Building Partnership

Halesowen College and Uni Smart Partnership to Sustainability

In a pioneering step toward net-zero operations and smarter estates management, Halesowen College has successfully upgraded key elements of its campus infrastructure through an innovative collaboration with smart building specialist Uni Smart Solutions. The project, recently featured in Campus Estate Management magazine — the UK’s leading publication for estates and facilities professionals in the education sector. It marks a significant milestone in integrating digital estate technology with sustainability targets across the education sector.

Smart Building Technology Drives Campus Sustainability

Faced with rising energy costs and ambitious environmental goals, Halesowen College embarked on a strategic initiative to overhaul its building systems, beginning with lighting and energy monitoring. The college partnered with Uni Smart Solutions — a managed service provider for smart buildings — to deploy its EcoPulse intelligent technology suite, focusing initially on smart lighting controls that dramatically improve energy performance and data insight for facilities managers.

Data-Driven Estates Management

This installation is part of a broader sustainability strategy that includes electric vehicle charging infrastructure, recycling programmes, and campus-wide efficiency measures. Uni Smart Solutions’ smart lighting system automatically adjusts output based on occupancy and natural light, reducing electricity use while centralising control and reporting so estates teams can make evidence-based decisions on performance.

Key elements of the project include:

  • Smart lighting upgrade that automatically adjusts to occupancy and daylight conditions, reducing wasted energy and improving user comfort.

  • Data-driven estate management, with regular usage reports enabling smarter campus decisions.

  • A managed service model that aligns investment with ongoing savings, eliminating significant upfront capital costs.

“Smart technologies can significantly reduce the energy footprint of buildings,” the article noted, quoting a Uni Smart spokesperson on the importance of data-driven estate management to meet carbon reduction targets and optimise operations cost-effectively.

Delivering Energy and Cost Savings

The smart lighting upgrade alone has resulted in substantial energy savings and cost reductions, supporting the College’s ongoing sustainability commitments without requiring significant upfront capital spend. Uni Smart’s commercial model — which links investment to operational savings — was highlighted as an enabler for resource-constrained education estates.

In the initial phase alone, the College has seen striking reductions in energy use and strengthened confidence in achieving long-term sustainability targets — all while generating operating cost efficiencies.

“This project exemplifies what can be achieved when estates teams leverage data and innovative managed services to meet carbon, cost and estate performance goals,” the article notes.

Initiatives like the Halesowen College project — backed by technology partners such as Uni Smart Solutions demonstrate that smart, scalable change is possible even under tight budgets.

Estates and facilities professionals note that projects like Halesowen College’s demonstrate how digital IoT solutions can play a central role in sustainability strategies for further and higher education, particularly when combined with effective financing and ongoing managed services.

As more campuses in the UK pursue net-zero frameworks and smarter estate technologies, Halesowen College’s example underscores the value of strategic partnerships between education institutions and smart tech providers like Uni Smart Solutions.

Read about our successful partnership with Halesowen College in the article in Campus Estate Management

Halesowen College sets sustainability example for higher education institutions, Campus Estate Management (March 2026)

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