While the Olympic flame burns brightly over London, the spirit of enterprise is ablaze in Cambridge. The university’s Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning reports a recession-defying record demand for this summer’s Ignite 2012.

It has received more than 90 applications for Ignite 2012 – a bumper year despite the difficult macro-economic outlook. It is likely that Ignite will have a total of around 84 delegates in total. Professor Christoph Loch, director of Judge Business School where CfEL operates from, will give the welcome address at a reception for delegates and others on Sunday July 1 at the Judge.

The Ignite week will feature an invigorating mix of presentations, special workshops, one-to-one clinics, networking events and presentation pitches. An impressive range of experienced and high profile entrepreneurs and specialists are contributing to the programme. Serial entrepreneurs Dr Hermann Hauser and Dr Andy Richards are doing a double act on defining business models for one of the keynote presentations on July 3. Cambridge Wireless chairman Dr David Cleevely is giving the keynote presentation on building great teams on July 5.

Lord Karan Bilimoria is talking on determining customers and markets at a workshop on July 2, while Dr David Brown, MD of Alchemy Biomedical Consulting and the inventor of Viagra among many other innovations, is talking about team management and governance on July 5. Business angel, Richard Leaver, CEO at Blue Star Capital plc, is acting as a mentor to delegates during the week.

Given the development of the bio stream to cater to the individual needs of those working in the biotech arena, CfEL is delighted to welcome some new faces to the Ignite programme.

Tony Sedgwick, chairman of Innova Biosciences Ltd, chairman of Plastid AS (Norway), CEO of Novacta Biosystems Ltd and adviser to the University of Auckland, is doing a workshop on routes to market on July 3.

Cathy Prescott, founder director of Biolatris Ltd, co-founder and director of univerCELLmarket Ltd, chair of the UK National Stem Cell Network Advisory Committee, Director of the East of England Stem Cell Network, Life Sciences Advisory Board member for the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (MA, USA) and Advisory Committee member for the charity DebRA, will be a mentor for the delegates from the biotech sector this year.

More than 25 innovators will join with the delegates at a special networking event on the evening of July 3 at Queens College and the programme will close with a celebration dinner at Downing College.

• PHOTOGRAPH SHOWS: Dr Andy Richards