Agenda
Click on the session titles below to learn more about each session.
Welcome, Housekeeping & Opening Address
Plenary
Welcome, Housekeeping & Opening Address
9.50am – 10am GMT, 10 February 2021 ‐ 10 mins
Plenary
Speakers
Keynote Address
Plenary
Keynote Address
10am – 10.15am GMT, 10 February 2021 ‐ 15 mins
Plenary
Speakers
Lord Bethell of Romford
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Innovation, Department of Health and Social Care
People - Plenary Session
Plenary
People - Plenary Session
10.15am – 11am GMT, 10 February 2021 ‐ 45 mins
Plenary
2020 has put an ever greater spotlight on the digital divide. As the pandemic sent people home, access to technology and the skills for using it have made the difference in between who could get a successful education or be productive at work or look after themselves and their families and who couldn’t. As a sector, we work to ensure technology is used to enhance the quality of life for all. “Tech for good” is not a slogan, but a way of life for businesses who have worked tirelessly to address social and health challenges by innovating with purpose. This session will look at lessons learnt throughout 2020 in using technology to enable people of all backgrounds to thrive in challenging circumstances. But more importantly, it will look ahead at what we need to get right to ensure our education and healthcare systems make the best use of technology to empower individuals for what comes next.Speakers
Future of Work: Equipping people with the skills to succeed
Breakout
Future of Work: Equipping people with the skills to succeed
11.15am – 12pm GMT, 10 February 2021 ‐ 45 mins
Breakout
In April 2020, techUK reimagined the future of work in the first of a series of webinars discussing the world in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. 10 months later and we now have a better understanding of what this period of forced digital transformation of work and the office has meant for our lives. The future of work is constantly changing, with emerging technologies such as robotics and AI set to become common place. For this to play out positively, and to combat the potential of displacement of jobs, we must create the right conditions. This session will look at the actions needed to equip people with the skills they need to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the Fourth Industrial Revolution. It’s aimed to help us rethink where, how and why we work.Speakers
Sarah Atkinson
Director, Corporate Social Responsibility, Micro Focus, Member of techUK’s Skills & Diversity Council
Dr Jack Stilgoe
Associate Professor, Science and Technology Studies, University College London
Future of Health and Social Care: Driving sustainable transformation
Breakout
Future of Health and Social Care: Driving sustainable transformation
11.15am – 12pm GMT, 10 February 2021 ‐ 45 mins
Breakout
The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed the way in which health and care services are delivered and used. In the first months, with the swift expansion of remote consultations, primary care saw some of the biggest shifts. Meanwhile, outpatient hospital appointments were increasingly being facilitated through digital means, and registrations for citizen-facing services were surging. One thing was clear: central organisations enabled those on the ground to make decisions at rapid pace, allowing change to occur. As one supplier put it: “It feels as if someone’s taken the handbrake off the NHS, it’s like it’s been given permission to go fast.”
But what are the changes with the biggest impact, and are they here to stay? How can the health service and the health care technology industry use the learning from the past year and work together to help drive forward sustainable transformation? This session will explore the role of digital health technology in the response to COVID-19 and what we expect to see as a result in the immediate future, touching on the important role of industry-system collaboration.
Speakers
Next generation diversity - Building the inclusive workforce of tomorrow
Breakout
Next generation diversity - Building the inclusive workforce of tomorrow
11.15am – 12pm GMT, 10 February 2021 ‐ 45 mins
Breakout
Diversity and inclusion sit at the very heart of digital growth. The tech sector understands that innovation thrives from diversity of thought and is continually looking to attract, recruit and retain a diverse workforce. At QA we are proud to support a number of initiatives that promote diversity in tech, whether that is doing outreach work to ensure that young people regardless of their background are inspired into tech and can see role models that look like them, or initiatives that help build more inclusive workplaces for those with different accessibility needs. If we are to thrive in a digital future, we must build an inclusive culture for all. This session will explore how we can continue to push for progress.
Hear from Angelica Charry, Learning Architect and Kavneet Sandhu, Head of Talent Acquisition, as we explore:
- Exploring alternative initiatives and sourcing methods that welcome a wider audience into STEM careers
- Recruitment and Selection - tangible examples of how we are delivering diversity and inclusion using AI screening tools
- How we adapt programmes to train, support and mentor individuals to ensure accessibility to all
- The opportunities to reskill and opportunities for career changers
Speakers
Welcome back
Plenary
Welcome back
1.25pm – 1.30pm GMT, 10 February 2021 ‐ 5 mins
Plenary
Speakers
Keynote Address
Plenary
Keynote Address
1.30pm – 1.40pm GMT, 10 February 2021 ‐ 10 mins
Plenary
Speakers
Rt Hon Baroness Diana Barran MBE
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
Society - Plenary session
Plenary
Society - Plenary session
1.40pm – 2.25pm GMT, 10 February 2021 ‐ 45 mins
Plenary
COVID-19 has seen us develop a renewed sense of community with organisations across the place mobilised to support the most vulnerable and those shielding. The crisis has also been a dramatic accelerator of change for our public services, from how swiftly they are responding to working with partners across the place and the use of digital. In the same time, misinformation around the virus, the public health guidelines and vaccination have driven communities and families apart and weakened the ability of authorities to contain the pandemic. This session will discuss how to drive forward the success stories of our ever more connected communities and mitigate online misinformation so authorities and individuals can take full advantage of digital tools to advance the renewed sense of place and future proof the resilience of our services and public guidelines.Speakers
Mr Jonathan Lloyd
Assistant Director - Strategy & Design – Corporate Development, London Borough of Waltham Forest
Online Harms: Tackling misinformation online
Breakout
Online Harms: Tackling misinformation online
2.40pm – 3.25pm GMT, 10 February 2021 ‐ 45 mins
Breakout
All across the world, from Asia to America and Europe, different models and visions for free speech and the future of the internet are emerging. With the general consensus of the last 30 years eroding and each country taking individual action to address their concerns and promote their values, there has never been a busier time in digital regulation. Amid this flurry of activity new questions emerge: who decides what type of content should appear online? Should individuals be culpable for spreading misinformation online? How do we protect journalists? How should technology companies act when there is misinformation on their platforms? How does the UK plan to respond to the risks of misinformation online? This session will look ahead and ask whether we are able now to identify the biggest threats from online misinformation and what actions need to be taken to mitigate future risks for our societies.Speakers
Connected & safer places: Improving outcomes from meaningful multi-agency working
Breakout
Connected & safer places: Improving outcomes from meaningful multi-agency working
2.40pm – 3.25pm GMT, 10 February 2021 ‐ 45 mins
Breakout
The challenges our communities and society face can no longer be tackled alone. If we are to create thriving and safe communities organisations and public services across the place need to work together to achieve a common outcome. During the pandemic place based working has become the norm, and we have seen organisations such as police and local authorities work together to support the most vulnerable and all this has been enabled by having the right digital infrastructure in place.
Digital and data is the enable to cut across boundaries to solve common challenges and improve outcomes for the people and place. We now need to look at how we continue and reshape this infrastructure post COVID-19 to maintain multi-agency working in an organic way. This session will explore the opportunity to convene around common issues and citizens to bring meaningful partnership to life.
Speakers
Emeran Saigol
Operational Director of Digital, Customer Experience and Community Safety, London Borough of Redbridge
Opening address, Housekeeping and Recap of day 1
Plenary
Opening address, Housekeeping and Recap of day 1
9.50am – 10am GMT, 11 February 2021 ‐ 10 mins
Plenary
Speakers
Keynote Address
Plenary
Keynote Address
10am – 10.15am GMT, 11 February 2021 ‐ 15 mins
Plenary
Speakers
Economy - Plenary session
Plenary
Economy - Plenary session
10.15am – 11am GMT, 11 February 2021 ‐ 45 mins
Plenary
A public health crisis on an unprecedented scale has put the economy under huge strain and thrown countries around the world into recession. This plenary session will focus on the economic challenges precipitated by the pandemic, de-globalisation, global recession, the risk of increasing inequality, as well as geopolitical tensions. We will then look ahead at what comes next and how key technologies such as AI and cyber and crucial infrastructure investments will help our economic recovery and resilience in the years to come.Speakers
Ed Vaizey
Former Minister for Culture and Communications and Member of the House of Lords
Data and AI: Making the UK a world leader in emerging technology
Breakout
Data and AI: Making the UK a world leader in emerging technology
11.15am – 12pm GMT, 11 February 2021 ‐ 45 mins
Breakout
The Covid-19 crisis demonstrated the importance and power of data and data driven technologies such as AI to make a real difference to the work of public sector organisations and companies around the world. Data and AI have played a key role in supporting decision throughout the crisis and are now being looked at by organisations of all sizes and sectors as they begin to consider how to rebuild and recover from the pandemic. Given the economic opportunities and potential offered by data and AI encouraging and increasing adoption, deployment and use of these technologies is more important now than ever before. As organisations begin to consider what they need to prioritise in terms of business recovery and digital transformation how do we make the case for adoption of technologies that can help turn data into insights, knowledge and value? Also how do we ensure the continued uptake and use of AI technologies to ensure the UK remains a world leader in AI adoption?Speakers
Levelling up: Making growth work for all
Breakout
Levelling up: Making growth work for all
11.15am – 12pm GMT, 11 February 2021 ‐ 45 mins
Breakout
At the general election the Government pledged to level-up the country, increasing growth and prosperity in parts of the UK that have been characterised as ‘left behind’. The outbreak of COVID-19 makes this ambition more challenging to deliver due to the unequal impacts of the pandemic and the financial burden of COVID-19 arising from the health and economic response. How then can we achieve levelling up against this backdrop, what role can the adoption of technology play in supporting local economic growth and improving people's life chances and how do we deliver the pace and scale of the change we need with limited resources?Speakers
Matthew Stephenson
Policy and Community Lead for International Trade and Investment, World Economic Forum
Kulveer Ranger
SVP Head of Strategy, Marketing, Comms & Public Affairs - N Europe, APAC & India, Atos
Digital Infrastructure: Building the networks and data centres of the future
Breakout
Digital Infrastructure: Building the networks and data centres of the future
11.15am – 12pm GMT, 11 February 2021 ‐ 45 mins
Breakout
High-quality, high-speed and resilient internet connections are essential for participating and thriving in our digitising economy and society. Generally, the UK’s telecoms networks have held up remarkably well to the mass-shift to home working, the increase in video calls to friends and families, and online learning. Similarly, the UK’s data centre sector successfully supported a huge uplift in demand for data processing and hosting which in turn underpinned digital functions and services like research, financial transactions, retail logistics and healthcare. The UK’s strength as leader and net exporter of digital services depends on state-of-the-art digital infrastructure that is secure, efficient, reliable and competitive. It also depends, now and in the future, on adequate capacity. How can we ensure that the right regulatory and business environment is in place to enable the UK to continue to punch well above its weight in digital services? Is more policy intervention needed – or less?Speakers
Emily Foley
Head of Data Infrastructure, Security and Resilience Policy, The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
Welcome back
Plenary
Welcome back
1.15pm – 1.20pm GMT, 11 February 2021 ‐ 5 mins
Plenary
Planet - Plenary session
Plenary
Planet - Plenary session
1.20pm – 2.05pm GMT, 11 February 2021 ‐ 45 mins
Plenary
Speakers
Murray Simpson
Global Lead, Sustainability, Climate & Transition, Executive Partner, Cognitive Process Transformation, IBM
Energy
Breakout
Energy
2.20pm – 3.05pm GMT, 11 February 2021 ‐ 45 mins
Breakout
The demand for digital energy data is growing and as new uses and applications emerge, from smart grid to autonomous vehicles, this is set to increase further. Observers are asking how all this data will be transmitted across networks, stored and processed in data centres and accessed on devices - and what the cumulative energy impact will be. Could it outweigh the environmental benefits that digitisation can bring? Innovation plays a crucial role in the delivery of a fully digitised energy system: how can we best frame innovation support and the market to best support the rapid changes that are needed?Speakers
Randolph Brazier M.Phil, B.Eng(Hons), B.Sc
Director of Innovation & Electricity Systems, Energy Networks Association
Cities
Breakout
Cities
2.20pm – 3.05pm GMT, 11 February 2021 ‐ 45 mins
Breakout
This breakout will focus on the future of UK smart city initiatives in a post-COVID world, seeking to identify key enabling factors (such as strengthening the adoption of systems thinking, enhancing domestic supply chains, supporting international trade in urban technology, and accelerating resilience-building activities) and the extent to which the crisis has rendered these as future imperatives for city leaders, regulators and policy makers. Discussions will also focus on the role that smart technologies can play in enabling the realisation of the UK’s National Infrastructure Strategy.Speakers
Mobility
Breakout
Mobility
2.20pm – 3.05pm GMT, 11 February 2021 ‐ 45 mins
Breakout
The pandemic has been a transformative time for many sectors but one of the most impacted has certainly been Transport and Mobility. The implications of the pandemic have transformed the way we think about moving through urban and rural environments. In this session we will explore those impacts in the short and medium term. We have seen rapid innovation in the sector prompting industry and government to work together in a more efficient manner. There have been huge environmental impacts as well, and we will explore further in the lead up to the Transport Decarbonisation Strategy, which will be published in March 2021.Speakers