What makes the West Midlands a leading UK location For Emerging Tech?
9am – 12pm14 June 2023
London
techUK, 10 St Bride Street, London, EC4A 4AD
Did you know the West Midlands has the highest number of emerging tech companies outside of London – more than both Manchester and Leeds? Or that the region is recognised as the UK’s fastest growing tech sector by the UK Government? Join us to discover why international tech companies are choosing the West Midlands as their destination of choice to enter and grow in the UK market.
In partnership with techUK, West Midlands Growth Company welcomes you to, “What makes the West Midlands a leading UK location for emerging tech?”; an interactive event featuring panel discussions, networking opportunities and a cutting-edge tech demonstration held during London Tech Week.
Featuring engaging talks from tech industry experts, delegates can uncover a wealth of business growth and innovation opportunities available for next-generation tech businesses in the West Midlands, from the region’s world-class universities, state-of-the-art R&D facilities and deep pool of tech talent to industry-leading business accelerator programmes.
Looking to enter the UK market? Uncover more about our game changing Global Growth Programme; an exciting initiative providing fully funded UK market entry support for international companies.
Stay tuned as we announce more speakers shortly. Spaces are limited, so register now to secure your place!
Matt Robinson
Head of Nations and Regions, techUK
Matt Robinson
Head of Nations and Regions, techUK
Matt is techUK’s Head of Nations and Regions.
Matt is leading techUK’s work with members and stakeholders across the UK to increase the Local Digital Capital across the UK’s nation and regions, build communities and to ensure that digital technology plays a key part the post-COVID-19 levelling-up recovery.
Prior to joining techUK, Matt worked for several national education charities and membership bodies to develop their regional partnerships with schools, academy trusts, local authorities, and other stakeholders. He’s also worked with local authority leaders and other stakeholders to engage communities, work with elected members and improve public services.
He holds a BA in Politics from the University of York and an MA in International Relations from the University of Leeds. Away from work he’s a keen football fan and golfer.
If you’d like to find out more about our work in the nations and regions please get in touch with Matt:
Programme Manager, Local Public Services and Nations and Regions, techUK
Ileana Lupsa
Programme Manager, Local Public Services and Nations and Regions, techUK
Ileana Lupsa is the Programme Manager for Local Public Services and Nations and Regions, at techUK.
Ileana studied electronics, telecommunications and IT as an undergraduate, followed by an MSc in engineering and project management at Coventry University.
She refined her programme management expertise through her most recent roles working in the automotive industry.
Ileana is passionate about sustainability and creating a positive impact globally through innovation.
Programme Manager, Small Business Engagement and Nations & Regions, techUK
Stephanie Barr
Programme Manager, Small Business Engagement and Nations & Regions, techUK
Stephanie is the Programme Manager for Small Business Engagement and Nations & Regions at techUK.
Working across the two programmes, Stephanie develops activities to support the growth and development of tech SMEs and engages with members and stakeholders more broadly to help strengthen regional tech economies.
Prior to joining techUK, Stephanie worked for a political events company and as a Senior Caseworker for an MP. She holds an MA (HONS) in Politics from the University of Glasgow.
Outside of work, Stephanie enjoys travelling, climbing and playing squash.
Tracy supports several areas at techUK, including Cyber Exchange, Cyber Security, Defence, Health and Social Care, Local Public Services, Nations and Regions and National Security.
Tracy joined techUK in March 2022, having worked in the education sector for 19 years, covering administration, research project support, IT support and event/training support. My most outstanding achievement has been running three very successful international conferences and over 300 training courses booked all over the globe!
Tracy has a great interest in tech. Gaming and computing have been a big part of her life, and now electric cars are an exciting look at the future. She has warmed to Alexa, even though it can sometimes be sassy!
techUK champions the tech sector throughout the UK. We work with local authorities, devolved government, and local and national policy makers to advocate for the tech sector in strengthening economic growth and resilience. We provide opportunities for our members and local stakeholders to meet, build relationships, and collaborate to drive forward local projects. For more information or to get in touch, please visit our Nations and Regions Hub and click ‘contact us’.
We are thrilled to present highlights from techUK's Nations and Regions programme of work over the past year, showcasing our key achievements, valuable insights, and defining moments. This year has been marked by meaningful discussions, impactful events, and collaborative initiatives—none of which would have been possible without your engagement and support.
The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government, Shona Robison MSP, has presented her draft Budget to the Scottish Parliament, outlining the Scottish Government’s proposed tax and spending plans for 2025-26.
Get our Nations and Regions insights straight to your inbox:
Sign-up to get the latest updates and opportunities from our Nations and Regions programme.
Contact the team:
Matt Robinson
Head of Nations and Regions, techUK
Matt Robinson
Head of Nations and Regions, techUK
Matt is techUK’s Head of Nations and Regions.
Matt is leading techUK’s work with members and stakeholders across the UK to increase the Local Digital Capital across the UK’s nation and regions, build communities and to ensure that digital technology plays a key part the post-COVID-19 levelling-up recovery.
Prior to joining techUK, Matt worked for several national education charities and membership bodies to develop their regional partnerships with schools, academy trusts, local authorities, and other stakeholders. He’s also worked with local authority leaders and other stakeholders to engage communities, work with elected members and improve public services.
He holds a BA in Politics from the University of York and an MA in International Relations from the University of Leeds. Away from work he’s a keen football fan and golfer.
If you’d like to find out more about our work in the nations and regions please get in touch with Matt:
Programme Manager, Local Public Services and Nations and Regions, techUK
Ileana Lupsa
Programme Manager, Local Public Services and Nations and Regions, techUK
Ileana Lupsa is the Programme Manager for Local Public Services and Nations and Regions, at techUK.
Ileana studied electronics, telecommunications and IT as an undergraduate, followed by an MSc in engineering and project management at Coventry University.
She refined her programme management expertise through her most recent roles working in the automotive industry.
Ileana is passionate about sustainability and creating a positive impact globally through innovation.
Learn more about our Nations and Regions campaign:
Join us at London Tech Week 2023
London Tech Week (12-16 June) is a global celebration of tech, uniting the most innovative thinkers and talent of tomorrow in a week-long festival. Showcasing how tech is transforming business and society, London Tech Week drives thought provoking conversations around innovation, diversity and transformation, providing a platform for the tech ecosystem to come together to drive change.
techUK will be running a number of fringe events throughout the week, click on the links below for more information:
Stephen is Chief Operating Officer at Goldilock Secure Limited, a leading hardware cybersecurity provider delivering cutting-edge remote security technology. The company has been shortlisted for the award of the UK’s Most Innovative Cyber SME 2023, run by the Department of Science, Innovation & Technology. An international corporate lawyer with expertise in complex M&A and tax efficient commercial transactions in the US, UK and emerging markets, Stephen is focused on emerging technologies, including blockchain and cybersecurity.
Mike is Sector Lead for Creative, Digital & Tech at West Midlands Growth Company. His role is supporting tech, digital and creative businesses establish and expand in the West Midlands - the UK's fastest growing tech cluster - and a global tech hub.
Aga is an executive with extensive experience running global multinational businesses in Japan, Singapore, Australia, London and Switzerland. He has been involved in 3 IPOs in Singapore and Australia. He was the founding CEO of HomeStay Care and took it from concept to listing on the Australian stock exchange in under 2 years.
Aga was heavily involved in the restructure and turnaround of Nautic AWT in his role as VP of Sales Support and General Manager of Australasian operations, taking the company from being a loss maker to being acquired and then subsequently undertaking an IPO on the Singapore stock exchange.
Head of Corporate Affairs, TATA Consultancy Services
Rifka Noronha is Head of Corporate Affairs for Tata Consultancy Services, UK and Ireland. Before joining TCS, she was Head of UK Retail Public Affairs at Boots UK, leading government engagement on retail issues, including Covid trading impact, sustainability and the future of high street retail.
Prior to that, Rifka worked at Tesco and Barclays Bank in several UK and International roles covering government relations, internal communications, and corporate sustainability.
Director of Business Development at EBS, a leading service provider for companies seeking to establish in the United Kingdom, Karolina has 10 years of expertise in the international business environment.
Leading EBS in the development of business and marketing strategies, Karolina is responsible for building relationships with new and existing clients, as well as organising events showcasing the services EBS Ltd offer.
Martin is the new West Midlands Tech Commissioner and senior executive in the software industry with 30+ years’ experience of B2B enterprise technology and associated services across EMEA. As a Partner at Waypoint Partners, he specialize in advising early-stage tech-centric ventures on their growth and fundraising strategies.
Previously, he’s worked in sales, business development and general management positions for several global blue chip enterprises including SAP, Fujitsu and Oracle. I’ve been a successful co-founder and have enjoyed multiple trade transactions. I’m an alumnus of MIT, IESE and Imperial College, and a serial angel investor and start-up mentor with personal investments spanning martech, customer analytics, machine learning and fintech.