Tech ecosystem is encouraged to flourish in Cardiff
Tech leaders from around the world are descending on Cardiff for a international technology event next week.
Digital Festival has attracted speakers from Silicon Valley, Paris, London, Africa, India, Berlin, Brussels and Barcelona.
With a mix of interactive workshops, panels and keynote speeches now confirmed, the founding editor-in-chief of Wired, the CEO and founder of Starling Bank, app engineers, established fintech leaders at GoCompare and a Silicon Valley investor are just some of the names businesses can learn from at the festival, which has been organised by Innovation Point in partnership with Welsh Government.
The international tech event, headline-sponsored by fintech pioneer GoCompare, returns to Cardiff on Monday, May 21 and Tuesday, May 22, for its sixth year.
Digital Festival will bring more than 2,000 delegates to the Wales Millennium Centre. Online ticket registration for the event is open at www.innovationpoint.uk/digital-festival – with 70% of available tickets already sold out.
Keynote speeches from big names in the tech world will be delivered from the main stage, including speakers from BT, Sony Europe, TechUK, the UK’s Department for International Trade, the British Blockchain Foundation, the Office for National Statistics, the Compound Semiconductor Applications Catapult, Accenture Digital, Garmin and the BBC sharing their insights into how the latest innovations can affect the way organisations operate.
A series of workshops will explore how megatrends like 5G, artificial intelligence and digital privacy can benefit businesses across the UK.
In this year of anniversaries marking milestones for females, Digital Festival is appealing for public nominations to celebrate inspiring Welsh women breaking the mould and making names for themselves in the tech scene.
Ten winners will be revealed at an exclusive lunch hosted by Barclay’s Eagle Labs and will share their career highlights, the challenges they’ve faced and what advice they would give women starting out on a similar path.
Meanwhile, BeTheSpark are giving five up-and-coming entrepreneurs the opportunity to pitch their business idea, followed by a question-and-answer session with an expert panel of judges.
The winner will benefit from a two-hour mentoring session with a member of the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Also during the festival, three start-up challenges – set by GoCompare, EdTech 50 and PA Consulting – will seek to solve contemporary challenges from farming to finance by means of AI and disruptive digital technologies.
Winners will receive support to fast-track the development of their ideas, mentoring from industry leaders, access to growth accelerators in Wales and the chance to win free office space for three months.
Jackson Hull, chief operating and technology officer at headline sponsor GoCompare, said: “We’re excited to offer a unique opportunity for start-ups and talented individuals to get hands-on, world-class mentoring to help develop their ideas and business.
“The winner of the GoCompare Start-Up Challenge will win mentoring from Lee Griffin, president and founder of GoCompare.
“Lee has a wealth of experience as both an entrepreneur and Welsh business leader, and is one of the most knowledgeable people in the country when it comes to growing a tech business from a start-up to a national brand.”