UK Tech Week’s Post

So three days to go before we host one of Europe's most prominent tech festivals, London Tech Week. I want to share with you the scale of this, looking at registrations so far... 45,000 delegates | 5000 start ups | 1000 investors | 70 international delegations | 145 countries represented | 75 hours of content | 400 speakers This year is a step change from previous years. Why? 🤝 we are hosting the main campus at Olympia in Kensington (thanks to the support by Hammersmith & Fulham Council) 🌍 this is now a global tech conference hosted in London with speakers from across the globe. 💹 we have an enterprise zone, a start up zone, an investor lounge and a stage for corporate innovation. Tons of opportunities to connect and meet the most relevant people for your business. What am I most looking forward to? Firstly, listening to inspiring global speakers on how tech is transforming our lives from health to climate change through to data privacy and AI. Main speaker highlights for me will be: Lila Ibrahim (Google DeepMind) | Greg Jackson (Octopus Energy) | Cameron Adams (Canva) | Julia Hartz (Eventbrite) | Dr. Irina Mirkina (UNICEF) | Srikanth Iyengar (upGrad) | Alex Kendall (Wayve) | Tej Lalvani Secondly, seeing London come to life with fringe events across the city hosted by many groups from Tech London Advocates & Global Tech Advocates, Department for Business and Trade, techUK, London & Partners, West Midlands Growth Company, TechWM, LocalGlobe and others. Thirdly, extending the warmest of welcomes to all our international delegates, some of which are visiting for the first time and connecting with new people from across the UK and from around the 🌍. With four of the world’s top 50 universities, 230 languages spoken and home to over 1600 VCs, London is a melting pot of talent, innovation and opportunity. Looking forward to helping our guests to navigate these opportunities next week. Oli Barrett will be doing his usual brilliant job of capturing speakers and guests throughout the week with his short video blogs, together with Sasha Qadri and Linzi Boyd. Do follow #LTW on the usual social channels to watch the highlights, but even better if you can join us in person. If you haven't registered yet, suggest you do so today at www.londontechweek.com so you can prepare for your week of connections, inspiration and opportunities. Carolyn Dawson | Brent Hoberman | Laura Citron | Tom Cuthell | Andrew Tibbitts | Russ Shaw CBE | Neil Brigden | Neha Karnad | Miriam Ducke | Chloë Griffin | Bingbing Zhao | Saul Klein | Howard Dawber | Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan

Well, what a week it's been! Birmingham Tech Week was a real hit - huge congratulations to Yiannis Maos MBE, Katharine Fuller, Victoria Pargetter-Garner, Jason Sahota and the wider TechWM team! It was great to attend so many events across the city (including last night's launch of the It Starts campaign by the West Midlands Growth Company) - two key messages stood out for me. First: The region has a thriving tech sector, one which is driven by an incredibly talented, young and diverse population. Given the youth unemployment challenge in the West Mids, it's more important than ever that the public, private and education sectors work together to enable those young people to both aspire to and take the opportunity here. Second: in an increasingly competitive environment for investment, telling our story matters. Arguably more importantly within that is centering that same young and diverse talent in those stories. Because if we don't tell our stories, who will? But this isn't just about FDI - although that's clearly important. It's about supporting and enabling firms to grapple with and drive digital transformation across a range of sectors and industries. It's ultimately about investing in people - in their drive, their ambition, their clear love of this place and their desire to propel it to greatness. This is a vital consideration, I think, in any Modern Industrial Strategy and/or Local Growth Plan. I heard - pretty clearly and unambiguously - that the private sector is ready to do more. But national, regional and local governments must rise to the challenge, too. A great week, then - let's hope It Starts Here and that the energy, optimism and momentum continues to build.

It’s that time of year again. The Tech Climbers big reveal is imminent and we're super-excited to be sponsoring the drinks for the third time.   If it's anything like previous years, it'll be a vibrant event with lots of awesome start-ups and scale-ups from the Liverpool City Region. The start-up ecosystem in this region is exciting and growing. We're seeing some brilliant businesses form and scale in the city. Whilst we’ve had challenging market conditions in the UK, it hasn’t stopped some fantastic entrepreneurs from building innovative and successful companies. Tech Climbers means a lot to us. For one, it's organised by the brilliant team at Active Profile. But also because Raina is one of the co-founders of SupplyWell, which has been previously listed as a tech climber. We also LOVE to support the Liverpool City Region. We work with brilliant businesses all over the UK but there’s something special in supporting your local community. So, if you’re heading along this year, drop us a note. Or better yet, grab us for a chat and enjoy some drinks on us. We can’t wait to meet the entrepreneurs and teams creating a thriving local tech scene. Don’t miss a great community event – get your tickets now ⬇️ https://hubs.ly/Q02hG_Pp0 #TechClimbers #LCR #Liverpool 2023's Tech Climbers... Betmate | Blinx Solutions | CIRCA5000 | CGA Simulation | DefProc Engineering | digitaltravel.io | E-Sign | Evoke Creative | FiftyEight | GoJoe | Holiferm | Inovus Medical | IoT Horizon Ltd | @SwiftCase | MGISS | Monterosa | ORCHA | Mycardium AI | PIN | Ruler Analytics | Skyhook Games | SupplyWell | workpal | DCYPHER | VidiVet

The TechNExt Main Stage is the beating heart of our tech festival, where innovation, inspiration and industry insights combine. Let's hear from Jamie Hardesty, Director of Communications and Ecosystems Development, who is the host for the event. 🗣️ What is the Main Stage event at TechNExt24? "Taking place in Newcastle's Stephenson Quarter, we have a day of thought-provoking keynotes from those at the forefront of tech innovation. This year's theme is ‘Tech with Purpose’, expect to learn something new, have fun and leave buzzing with ideas!" 🗣️ What are some of the key themes or topics that will be highlighted? "We have seven speakers in total, covering a breadth of topics, all linked through the positive, impactful and game-changing work they do via creating and experimenting with technology! Speakers will cover topics from inventing products to innovating in industries like healthcare, sport and science, we'll talk about sustainable, inclusive and passionate approaches to harnessing technology to change the world." 🗣️ What are you most looking forward to at TechNExt, aside from your hosting duties? "I've been doing our speaker briefings so far this week, so I'm very excited to see their talks after getting a taste. I'm also looking forward to seeing the North East tech community come together, whilst welcoming new people to the tech sector, it’s going to be a great week!" 🗣️ How do you see TechNExt influencing the future of tech in the North East? "We launched TechNExt to strengthen what we have in the region, technology-wise. The festival can help bring people together, championing and celebrating the successes and opportunities which exist in North East tech. We're a small region but we still have a job to do in co-ordinating sector activity and amplifying our credentials. We had a great first year in 2023, I'm excited to go bigger this year." Not signed up yet? Visit the link to get involved 🔗 https://lnkd.in/exQ58eXM #TechforGood #TechNExt24 #NorthEastTech

Regional hubs are becoming more interconnected and aligned This will drive improved economic growth of the UK economy. Please engage and stay connected 🤝and collobrate 🤲 Tech London Advocates & Global Tech Advocates

There's a lot coming up in terms of techUK sessions outside London in the next few weeks, so look at, read about an register to attend for .... Birmingham Tech Week 2024 (21-25 October) with TechWM We are there all week in various capacities at events and dinners including on digital skills, international trade and the UK tech ecosystem with a focus on the West Midlands. Great to have partners such as West Midlands Growth Company, FarrPoint, IBM, nLighten, The Data City and more involved in our sessions. https://lnkd.in/eZhaAEbJ UK Tech SMEs: Driving Economic Growth and Innovation (31 October) at Aston University techUK will be publishing our SME report on the social and economic impact of SMEs including data on tech SMEs in the UK and findings from our interviews with SME leaders. And speakers from Orlo, ORCHA, Sitekit Solutions Limited, Midlands Engine and the Aston University Centre for Growth. https://lnkd.in/ef7x_TaA Business Transformation in the Age of AI (7 November) in Bristol with Experis This will focus on defining the skills needed for tomorrow’s workforce, driving innovation through reskilling initiatives, emerging tech trends shaping the workforce, and the importance of ethics in tech and AI. Again a great line up of speakers STEM Learning UK, Oracle, University of the West of England, techUK and more. https://lnkd.in/edjrB9TS Gaming & Esports Technologies of the Future (20 November) in Sheffield The UK stands at a critical juncture in its leadership of technology and creativity, driving rapid growth as a global hub for video games. After a year of in-depth conversations with leading gaming and technology companies across the UK, we've gathered valuable insights to shape techUK's highly anticipated Gaming & Esports report. Thanks to Tencent who are sponsoring the event and PwC and others who are speaking. https://lnkd.in/ecpbXQXe P.S. there are a large number of virtual, London based or other sessions coming up but I wanted to pick a few highlights coming up across the UK in the next few weeks. #techUK #NationsandRegions #tech #digital #AI #Bristol #BTW24 Ileana Lupsa | Ed Bevan | Rory Daniels | Matthew Evans

Tech festivals are a fascinating reflection of their local ecosystems: who shapes them, who funds them, who they serve. It’s the season: Viva Technology just ended; NYC TECH WEEK by a16z on now; London Tech Week next week. A quick rundown: ❓Who runs and funds? 🇫🇷 Run by Publicis Groupe and Les Echos. Major sponsors: French govt (Bpifrance, Business France), state-owned biz (RATPgroup, La Poste Groupe), corporates (LVMH, Google). 🇺🇸 Run by a16zc (a leading VC), major sponsors HSBC, Atlassian, Fenwick. 🇬🇧Run by Informa, Founders Forum Group and London & Partners; major sponsors include IBM Microsoft and Dubai. ❓Who goes? 🇫🇷 Vivatech audience is majority French and European, with strong US contingent. 🇺🇸NYC Tech Week audience is primarily domestic. 🇬🇧 LTW is UK and global, with strong attendance from US, India, Middle East, ASEAN and across Europe. ❓Format? 🇫🇷 Vivatech is a huge show centred on a single venue 🇺🇸 NYC Tech Week is an umbrella for 700+ events run by the tech ecosystem. Start-up vibe, event submissions on a googledoc. 🇬🇧 LTW is a central show (this year at Olympia!) with a vibrant fringe ❓So what does this tell us? 🇫🇷 In Paris we have a big, slick show and a powerful, state-supported platform. Reflects the political commitment to building the French tech sector at the heart of Europe. 🇺🇸 In NYC we have a VC-operated marketplace for events, heavily focused on start-ups, mostly for local ecosystem. It’s big, open, scrappy and money talks. 🇬🇧 In London we have a global event platform, largely private-sector led, with a strong civic stakeholder (us!). It’s mission-driven commerciality and very international. Each of these ecosystems is thriving. There isn't a one-size-fits-all "right" way to grow a tech ecosystem. Our tech ecosystems reflect our wider political, social and economic structures. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't be thoughtful and deliberate about who our tech ecosystems serve and their impact. ❓So what? As London & Partners, we have the privilege and responsibility of helping shape London's tech ecosystem. We work to grow the ecosystem - and to make it more open and inclusive. London Tech Week tells the world what kind of ecosystem we want to be. And we have made choices. You will notice two things next week: 1. How genuinely global the audience is, with delegations from around the world. London is open. 2. How diverse the speakers are, at least in terms of gender and ethnicity More ecosystem chat 👉Maddyness podcast Ecosysteme, featuring Clara Chappaz of La French Tech and yours truly https://bit.ly/4bIZkrn LTW tickets 👉 www.londontechweek.com Janet Coyle CBE Andrew Tibbitts Brent Hoberman Carolyn Dawson Russ Shaw CBE Oli Barrett Theo Blackwell MBE #LTW #tech #ecosystem #diversity #inclusion #values

Next week is London Tech Week! It’s another great opportunity to catch up with Krzysztof Choma and Peter Mezyk, who will be exploring the latest tech trends, innovations, and #investments. If you’re attending, let’s catch up! Whether it’s to discuss the latest advancements, potential collaborations, or simply to share ideas.☕️ #LondonTechWeek #Networking

🌟 TECH NEWS! 🌟 🚀 TechChicago Week is back, highlighting Pritzker's crowning achievements at yesterday's Morning Press Conference! From quantum testing campuses to EV manufacturing, Illinois and Chicago are experiencing tremendous job growth in 2024. Chicago's tech scene has faced challenges, but our tech sector is thriving again thanks to new advancements.   "Tech Week is important to Chicago," says Tifair Hamed Chief Marketing Officer of P33. "We want to showcase our tech ecosystem to attract funding, talent, and founders." Opening night features Gov. JB Pritzker, who's secured federal funding for quantum tech and boosted biotech and EV manufacturing in Illinois. His presence underscores his commitment to innovation and entrepreneurship.   Since 2012, investments have turned Chicago into a tech hub, with giants like Google and Facebook setting up shop. TechChicago Week offers a chance to reconnect and reignite our tech community. Tech workers comprise almost 10% of Chicago's workforce, but diversity remains a challenge. We aim to address this and build on our momentum.   Join us at the new Lincoln Yards life sciences building for transformative events.   👉 Read the full Axios Chicago article for more information on how the Tech community thrives again! https://lnkd.in/eCr5BMYn   Still don't have your ticket? Register for TechChicago Day now and be part of Chicago's tech future. ➡️ https://lnkd.in/g39aQHX8   #TechChicagoWeek #Innovation #TechEcosystem #ChicagoTech #TCW24