Northern Tech Summit offers ‘key opportunity' to break down barriers, says founder
The founder of a tech sumit set to take place in Yorkshire later this week has said the event will serve as a “key opportunity” to break down barriers in the region.
The TECH SY Northern Tech Summit will take place in Sheffield on Wednesday and Thursday this week at the Crucible theatre, bringing together hundreds of entrepreneurs, investors and policymakers from across Northern England.
The event will aim to showcase some of the cutting-edge innovation currently being delivered, as well as strengthening connections between businesses, investors and support organisations to help northern tech companies “compete on the global stage”.
Speaking on the summit, Tracey Johnson, project director at TECH SY, said: “The Northern Tech summit promises to be an unmissable event for entrepreneurs and business leaders in the technology sector looking to scale and grow, as well as key decision makers and policy makers.
“The Summit will showcase the success achieved by businesses from across the North, creating opportunities to collaborate and connect.
“It's a key opportunity to help break down perceived barriers and unlock the full potential of the North.”
Confirmed speakers at the event include Tom Adeyoola, executive chair of Innovate UK and Ana Avaliani, director of enterprise & place at the Royal Academy of Engineering.
Yoram Wijngaarde, founder of Dealroom, a global intelligence platform that tracks high-growth businesses and venture capital investment and Sue Douglas, a former journalist turned tech entrepreneur who co-founded Veer, a machine learning start-up seeking to transform recruitment will also speak at the summit.
Throughout the two-day event, delegates will have the opportunity to take part in panel discussions and debates exploring the challenges of scaling technology businesses in the North.
Wednesday will culminate in a special Northern Startup Showcase fringe event, bringing together business founders, demonstrations and networking opportunities, in a specially curated showcase.
Data published by the global intelligence platform Dealroom has revealed that during the past decade, investments made in technology businesses have grown the northern tech ecosystem to over £68bn.
Josephine Kant, head of ventures at the government-backed Sovereign AI investment fund, will also speak at the event.
She said: “It’s undeniable that there’s a real sense of ambition and potential in the North, with many start-ups working on some genuinely exciting ideas. The opportunity in the North is significant, and I’m looking forward to continuing those conversations at the Northern Tech Summit.”