A fully virtual and globally accessible event, London Tech Week 2020 will cover the whole tech ecosystem
London Tech Week 2020 started yesterday showcasing the best of global tech and how it will play a crucial role in helping everyone navigate the challenges facing our changing world.
Europe’s most influential tech event, which runs from Sept 1st-11th, will look at the impact of the technology ecosystem on the key issues of our age including health, education, security, the future of work and the socio-economic inclusion of women, BAME and under-represented groups.
London Tech Week, owned by Informa Tech Founders and London & Partners, and co-founded with Tech London Advocates, drives key connections and conversations which will shape the future of the sector in the UK and across the world and features keynote speakers from Government, Tech and Science.
The event this year features some of the biggest names in tech including Eric Schmidt, Former CEO & Chairman, Google / Co-Founder, Schmidt Futures and Jack Dorsey, CEO and Co-Founder of Square and CEO of Twitter.
Janet Coyle, Managing Director for Business, London & Partners, said: “The Covid-19 pandemic has demonstrated the fundamental role that technology plays in society today and the role it must continue to play as we face the new normal.”
We will also hear from Matt Hancock MP the Secretary of State for Health, Caroline Dinenage MP Minister of State for Digital and Culture, Dr Indra Joshi Director of AI at NHSX, and Howard Boville, Senior Vice President, IBM Hybrid Cloud and former Chief Technology Officer for Bank of America.
Musician, composer and tech enthusiast, Nile Rodgers who will be leading the discussions on diversity and inclusion.
Despite the current climate, the UK tech sector remains in the robust form and continues to play a key part in driving the economy, according to new data.
Against a backdrop of job losses in many sectors, the digital tech sector is starting to show signs of recovery and companies have gained confidence in the last few weeks, as demonstrated by a sharp uptick in jobs advertised online.
The Digital Economy Council and Tech Nation will publish a preview next week (Sept 8) of its Bright Tech Future report, out this autumn, which will reveal the extent to which tech companies have returned to hiring in recent weeks. The report will show tech now employs 2.93M people and that five cities outside London now have more than a fifth of their workforce employed in the digital tech economy.
Gerry Grimstone, Minister for Investment said, “As we strike trade deals around the world, we will work with trading partners to set global standards and create cutting-edge provisions in key policy areas like AI, data and digital to make it easier for businesses to trade.”
He further added, “The next two weeks are a real celebration of all that London and the whole of the UK have to offer and I look forward to seeing how the many events, discussions and meetings become commercial opportunities at home and abroad for tech firms in the UK.”
At this year’s London Tech Week, the focus on curated virtual content will enable wider international audiences to join the conversation and connect with the global tech community by simply logging on to the London Tech Week platform.