London’s world-leading tech sector will be showcased in June as the capital holds the first London Technology Week. Comprising over 130 independently run events taking place across the city, this will be the largest collection of tech events ever seen in Europe.
Over 30,000 tech entrepreneurs, investors and developers from around the globe are expected to attend London Technology Week from 16th – 20th June. They will hear first-hand from some of the world’s biggest tech companies, including Microsoft, Samsung, Google, Eventbrite and Yammer, as well as home-grown successes, such as Mind Candy and Hailo.
Events range from large international conferences to workshops, face-to-face investor meetings, pitching competitions and hackathons, covering a broad range of sectors, including education, music, sport, fashion, finance and science.
Education practitioners and innovators in EdTech will come together on Monday 16th June at Somerset House for a one-day workshop, ‘RE.WORK: The Future of Innovation’, to discover how technology is impacting education. Speakers include Will Pearson, Director of Technology at Ravensbourne, UK’s leading digital and design college, and Bethany Koby, co-founder of Technology Will Save Us. On Tuesday 17th June Dragon Hall will launch its new tech hub at ‘Techday – Bridging the Digital Divide for Children and Young People’ where youngsters from the age of eight will get the chance to test out virtual reality headsets, learn coding and print their own 3D designs.
With the World Cup kicking off in June, there will be a number of sports tech events to choose from during the week. Real time football data company Squawka will host ‘Second Screening: The World Cup – Live’ on Monday 16th June. It will demonstrate how technology and second screening is creating a new generation of fantasy football during the Germany vs Portugal match. Additionally during the England vs Uruguay match on Thursday 19th June, digital publishers YUDU Media and The Football Association will show how tech is being used to enhance and support coaches and players at their event ‘The Influence of Technology in Sport’.
With the launch of MedCity earlier this year and the Francis Crick Institute opening in 2015, science tech is becoming an important part of London’s tech sector. The Data Source Institute at Imperial College will host ‘The Human Brain Project’ on Tuesday 17th June where it will show how to reconstruct the human brain, piece-by-piece, creating a ‘virtual brain’ in a supercomputer. This will help our understanding of the brain and the diseases that affect it. Also on Tuesday, The Institute of Engineering and Technology will host a lecture on synthetic biology, and innovation charity Nesta will investigate the advances in robotics and artificial intelligence during its event ‘Humanising the Robot Society’ on Wednesday 18th June.
Kit Malthouse, Deputy Mayor of London for Business and Enterprise and Chairman of London & Partners, said: “London is a melting pot of tech talent, with thousands of ambitious companies looking to employ the best in the business and hungry investors looking to back a winning idea. With over 130 independent tech events happening across the city, London Technology Week will encapsulate the incredible spirit of the capital’s thriving tech sector.”
Russ Shaw, a member of the London Technology Ambassador Group and founder of Tech London Advocates, said: “The sheer number and caliber of events taking place during London Technology Week highlights the strengths of the capital’s tech scene. The world is clearly looking to London, with the very best entrepreneurs, investors and developers from around the globe coming here to see the city’s exciting landscape for start-ups and its combination of world-class innovation and cutting-edge technology.”
Additional highlights of London Technology Week:
Monday 16th June
‘Samsung Future Technology Needs’ – 10 St Bride Street
TechUK and Samsung have teamed up to give tech practitioners the chance to meet and present ideas to their technology scouting team. Guests will hear directly from Samsung’s technology sourcing team, who will outline their future technology needs.
Tuesday 17th June
‘Internet World’ – ExCeL London
Incorporating both Interop London and Big Data Show, as well as Tech Transformation Forum, this event will introduce thousands of IT, technology and digital marketing professionals to some of the most cutting-edge technology innovations and strategies.
Wednesday 18th June
‘FashTech’ – Google Campus
Industry leaders from the world of fashion will come together with tech innovators to showcase the latest FashTech innovations and debate the future of the FashTech industry.
Thursday 19th June
‘Croydon Tech City: Women in Tech’ – 1 Matthews Yard
Networking event and debate focussing on female tech founders, with panellists including Alex Depledge from Hassle and Sweta Chattopadhyay from LocalFunded.
Friday 20th June
‘StartUp Europe Roadshow – Private and Public Business Support for ICT Entrepreneurs’ – Google Campus
Students and aspiring entrepreneurs between 16 and 30 years old will benefit from first-hand mentoring by exchanging ideas with their “role-models” and investigating start-up funding opportunities.
London Technology Week has been organised by UBM Live, in association with London & Partners – the Mayor’s official promotional organisation for London, ExCeL London and Tech London Advocates.
There will be free, ticketed and closed events across the week. For more information about London Technology Week and a full up-dated list of events, visit http://londontechnologyweek.co.uk/ .
