The Glasshouse Artist in Residence, Nat Sharp, invites you to a private sharing of SPUME, a multisensory installation blending reflected light, immersive sound, and tactile encounters.  

Lie down on a soft seabed, absorb healing frequencies, and practice the art of horizontalism — gazing upward through a shimmering surface where glass buoys drift and scatter light across the space.  

The soundscape, built with subtle and intuitive technologies, resonates through the room in ways that invite you not just to listen, but to feel and participate fully — creating a gentle, shared presence.  

The work is rooted in Nat’s personal stories and expansive influences: from childhood memories of the Merchant Navy to the ancient vibrations of the Solfeggio scales, matriarchal sirens, sonic body transduction, and ecological reflection.  

This is an invitation to slow down and explore a rich, inclusive world of connection and creativity.  

Note: This is an open sharing so visitors can drop in at anytime between 11am-5pm. The building is closed to the public so entry is via Stage Door.  

Co-produced by The Glasshouse International Centre for Music, in partnership with Newcastle University.

If you’re a small business owner, freelancer, or part of a local SME, you know how much time gets lost juggling digital tools, managing endless information, and trying to stay on top of it all. But what if some of that pressure comes from data and systems you don’t even realise are holding you back?  

This friendly, informal event is part of the TechNExt Festival Fringe 2025 and is packed with real, useful advice not just theory. We’ll cover how to reduce digital overload, manage your data more effectively, and explore low-cost green tech options that can help your business run more efficiently.  

Highlights include: 

• A session on dark data—the unseen digital clutter draining your time and resources, led by Sharon Sinclair-Williams
• Tips for avoiding digital burnout and supporting your team’s wellbeing
• Advice on using data and technology to grow sustainably
• Local support info from the BEST (Business Energy Savings Team)

You’ll also have the chance to connect with other local businesses, share experiences, and leave with ideas you can put into action right away.

Step into the most realistic, high fidelity VR experience in the North East.  Whether you are racing at breakneck speeds or soaring through the skies, you’ll feel every turn, drop and impact with our 6 degrees of freedom motion platforms, haptic emersion and force feedback controls.  

If you nimble enough to climb into the simulator you're welcome to join us for an unforgettable experience. 

This event led by the NortHFutures Hub aims to foster collaboration in healthcare technologies (health-tech), bringing together research and innovation in people centred approaches to humanising health-tech. During the workshop we want to hear from the audience about what your needs are and where the gaps/barriers are for collaboration so that we can build and develop opportunities for future collaborations in healthcare technologies.  

The workshop will explore ways healthcare, design and tech companies can come together with academia to develop an ecosystem that engages and lead in digital health and health tech initiatives.  The aim going forward is to create an inclusive environment where everyone can come together to collaborate, innovate and share insights and experiences.  

There are a number of unmet health and care needs and inequalities in the region that we need to address.  

“Our region has a strong history and legacy of innovation, transformation and collaboration. Many of our future aims and aspirations will be enabled with digital data and technology, allowing our region not just to do the same things better, but to do better things." — Professor Graham Evans, Executive Chief Digital and Information Officer/SIRO, at NHS NENC ICB.  

The NortHFutures consortium has a shared agenda to address unmet health needs, inequalities, and digital exclusion in the North East and North Cumbria (NENC) region where there is proportionately high deprivation, child poverty, mental health challenges and a high percentage of people in the population living with multiple long-term conditions.  

Representatives from the region’s universities will present specific engagement opportunities they have in the health-tech sector as part of the NortHFutures Hub.  We will then host an interactive workshop to explore opportunities for collaboration with future funding calls.  

NortHFutures Hub’s mission is to foster collaboration, networking, and entrepreneurial ventures within the Healthcare community across the region.  

This fringe event aims to ignite innovation and facilitate pathways to commercial success for healthcare technologies within the North East and Cumbria.  

We will discuss the following themes:  

• Promoting Health and Nutrition for Children and Young People;  

• Developing Digital Surgical Pathways;  

• Supporting Mental Health and Wellbeing;  

• Living and Ageing Well with Multiple Long-term Conditions.  

For more information please contact Emma Batey, businessenquiry@northumbria.ac.uk

Since 2013, multi award-winning Southpaw Dance Company have created powerful, joyous performances, from small scale solo work to large scale outdoor spectaculars, combining absolute artistic integrity with engaging narratives which inspire and excite audiences. Infinitely versatile and virtuosic, Southpaw’s work is inspiring, thought-provoking, engaging, and full of joie de danse.  

We end the immersive hub in style with a showcase of how digital technologies such as immersive tech and virtual production are creating new possibilities when it comes to live performance.

Join us to explore how XR technologies are revolutionising patient care during the opening session of the Immersive Hub at TechNExt. This session will feature insights on XR in healthcare, initiatives enhancing health and wellbeing through health-tech, and an AI-powered XR experience for training healthcare professionals.

Join Shermin Arab, Scientist at Samsung Technologies and formerly of Meta and Apple for a captivating keynote on the journey of Extended Reality (XR), from Google Glass to Ray-Ban Stories/Orion, HoloLens, and Vision Pro. The session will explore XR's evolution and dive into the display technologies that power XR devices, such as microLED, OLED, and waveguide technologies, and understand how they enhance the immersive experience. The session will also focus on the challenges and opportunities within the XR landscape while uncovering the exciting prospects across industries like healthcare, retail, and remote work.

If you're a solo entrepreneur in the tech world, chances are you're:

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• Wearing every hat – from developer to marketer to CEO

• Battling self-doubt, decision fatigue or imposter syndrome

• Struggling to scale without burning out

• Knowing your tech, but questioning your strategy

• Ready to grow – but unclear what’s holding you back

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This 75minute session is an opportunity to experience: 

• Real-time coaching tools to surface and reframe limiting beliefs

• Peer connections with like-minded tech founders

• A space to step back and think bigger - not just do more

• Concrete actions to help you shift from stuck to strategic

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You’ll Leave With:

• A refreshed mindset that fuels growth

• One strategic action you’re excited to implement

• A reframed belief that stops playing small

• Tools to keep your mindset aligned as your business scales

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The session will be led by Sam Patterson: Leadership coach, facilitator and trainer supporting startup and scale up businesses to realise their dreams. 

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At the heart of this work is you – the one with the idea, who’s already bringing it to life and has the courage to keep growing, changing and pushing comfortable.  

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This is easier to do with help. 

You bring:

🔹 Deep expertise in you, your ambitions and your business. 

🔹 A drive to make things better.

🔹 A commitment to meaningful change.

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I bring:

🔸 Specialist expertise in partnering with people to drive positive change.

🔸 A creative yet challenging perspective that pushes boundaries.

🔸 An unwavering belief in your ability to succeed.

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“I had the privilege of being part of Sam’s Aspiring Leaders course, and I can confidently say it was instrumental in my professional development. Before this, I had never experienced coaching, but thanks to Sam’s guidance, I can’t imagine a future without it.

Her ability to create a safe, inspiring, and thought-provoking space for growth is truly exceptional. She doesn’t just teach leadership, she empowers you to see your own potential and take action with confidence. Her insights, support, and practical approach have had a lasting impact on both my mindset and my career.

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If you have the opportunity to work with Sam, take it, you won’t regret it! 🚀” 

Kai Pitt-Richardson CEO Reset Reload

Join us for a discussion on how to effectively embed data and AI tools into decision-making processes in government organisations. This event is designed for analysts and decision-makers interested in using data to create a meaningful impact.  

Embedding data and AI tools into workflows and ensuring they are actively used to drive decisions can be challenging. This event will explore strategies to avoid the common pitfalls of developing data dashboards that are rarely or never used. Attendees will gain valuable insights into the challenges and enablers of successful integration, learning what works for driving effective data-driven policymaking.  

The event will include presentations and a Q&A session. Attendees will have the opportunity to hear from experts in the public sector who have successfully integrated data and AI into their decision-making frameworks. Lunch will be served at the event.

Is your business too reliant on you to thrive—or even survive? Join Laurie Stirling, Growth + Exit Strategist and creator of the Step Back to Scale System, for a powerful webinar designed to help entrepreneurs turn their businesses into streamlined, scalable, and self-sustaining operations. This 60-minute session is perfect for business owners who want to step back without slowing down—or prepare for a successful future exit or sale.

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You’ll discover:

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• The key systems that make a business scalable and sellable
• How to reduce founder-dependence without losing control
• Strategies to increase business value and attractiveness to buyers
• Real examples of entrepreneurs who created exit-ready businesses
• Expect a practical, insight-packed session with time for Q&A at the end. Whether you want to sell in 2 years or simply create freedom now, this webinar will give you a clear roadmap to move forward with confidence.

Step into the most realistic, high fidelity VR experience in the North East.  Whether you are racing at breakneck speeds or soaring through the skies, you’ll feel every turn, drop and impact with our 6 degrees of freedom motion platforms, haptic emersion and force feedback controls.  

If you nimble enough to climb into the simulator you're welcome to join us for an unforgettable experience. 

A collaborative approach to workshop learning where attendees can work with Maven and other industry experts and advisors to:

• Understand the process and benefits of raising equity finance, navigating the complexities of business ownership.

• Highlight the common challenges and pitfalls when speaking to investors.

• Provide practical insights and investment readiness tools and resources.

• Introduce active growth and fundraising opportunities for local tech businesses.

Join us for an event dedicated to exploring trust and security in AI, with a special focus on defence. Building on the success of our AI report, "The View From the Top: How Business Leaders Are Operationalising AI," this event promises to delve into critical topics such as AI, cybersecurity, and defence strategies.  

The evening will begin with a panel discussion chaired by Womble Bond Dickinson, featuring industry experts who will share their insights and experiences.  

Following the panel discussion, there will be a drinks reception.  

Don't miss this chance to gain valuable insights into the future of AI and its implications for defence and security. We look forward to seeing you there!

Jon and Dave are the co-founders of Blu Sky Chartered Accountants, a firm they built over 15 years to become a cornerstone of the North East’s startup ecosystem. Through their work with a diverse range of businesses, Jon and Dave have become trusted advisors and champions of entrepreneurial growth in the region.

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Beyond running a successful practice, they’ve shared their insights and humour through their podcast, 2 Pints of Lager and a Spreadsheet, which has gained a loyal following. With years of experience, they’ve gained a rare perspective on the challenges, triumphs, and missteps faced by founders, particularly when it comes to raising capital.

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Join us as Jon and Dave share candid stories from their journey, reflect on Dave’s recent exit from the business, and reveal the common pitfalls founders face when seeking funding—along with practical advice to avoid them. This is a must-attend session for anyone navigating the highs and lows of entrepreneurship.

This moderated discussion featuring speakers from government, industry, HE, FE, and students will explore key topics around conceptualising tertiary education in the UK. This will include but are not limited to:  

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• What does “tertiary education” mean in today’s world — and who is it for?
• What are the key features of a well-coordinated regional tertiary education system, and who is best positioned to lead it?
• What are the unintended consequences of current tertiary education policy frameworks?
• Where would Research & Innovation best placed and connected with the tertiary education system?
• Whose voices have been marginalised or excluded from shaping the system — and how do we change that?

We are delighted to be joined on the panel by:  

Kim Smith - Regional Lead: Technical Education & Enterprise, North East Combined Authority  

Xin Xu - Departmental Lecturer in Higher/Tertiary Education, SKOPE   

Matt Forshaw - Senior Advisor for Skills, The Alan Turing Institute   

Louise Doyle - Co-Founder, MESMA  

Mike Chapman - Campus Principal: Bede Campus , Sunderland College

Join us for an engaging event where industry leaders explore how evolving technologies, hiring practices, and workforce expectations are reshaping tech recruitment.  

Whether you're a people management leader, recruiter, business leader, or educator, this is your opportunity to gain valuable insights and connect with key voices shaping the future of tech hiring.  

The event will start off with arrivals and networking at the cafe, and then delegates will be moved to Committee Room 1 for the welcome, insightful speeches, and the main panel as follows.  

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Welcome & Keynotes

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• Kim Smith, Regional Lead of Technical Education & Enterprise at North East Combined Authority, will open the event.
• Louise Reed, Solutions Director - Future Skills at Reed, will deliver a keynote on the future trends shaping skills demand and the recruitment landscape.
• Chris Brierley-Roberts, Senior Training Manager at Microsoft, will deliver a speech on how AI and Microsoft Copilot are impacting recruitment.

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Expert Panel Discussion

Moderated by Cheryl Burns, Head of Practice at Reed Technology, this thought-provoking panel brings together tech and talent acquisition leaders to discuss:  

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• How the tech hiring landscape has evolved
• The growing role of AI and automation in recruitment
• Remote work and accessing global talent pools
• Skills-based hiring and the rising importance of soft skills
• Predictions for the next 3–5 years in tech recruitment

Panellists include:  

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• Amanda Parry, Digital, Data and Technology People Lead at NHS Business Services Authority
• Jill McKinney, Director of Service Delivery at Sunderland Software City, and Digital Skills Council Member at DSIT
• Leanne Cullen, Chief Operating Officer at Seriös Group
• Louise Reed, Solutions Director - Future Skills at Reed

Don’t miss this opportunity to connect and learn about the future of tech hiring in the North East and beyond...  

Stick around after the event to connect and network with Tech Talent Live 2025 exhibitors too!

As every business becomes a data business and data users grow more diverse, taking a strategic approach to data isn’t just important, it’s essential for real impact. Seeing data as a valuable asset opens up new opportunities across your organisation.  

Join us for a 30-minute panel discussing how data teams can create greater impact by treating data as a product: building dynamic, reusable assets that fuel insights and decision-making across multiple parts of the business.  

We’ll cover the key elements of effective data products, the principles and architectures that support them, and how strong data foundations enables AI Futures that drive your business goals.  

Our team of data solution experts; Product Director, Charlie, Head of Data Engineering, Joseph and Product Manager, Paul will be joined by Andrew Mason, Head of Data & Analytics at Grainger plc.

Join Hekla Goodman Parker and Jamie Hardesty who open our Tech Startup Hub with data and insight regarding the state of North East tech startups. Jamie and Hekla will explore both the region’s tech startup credentials in numbers and provide insight into developments to boost the ecosystem and make  the North East into a region of thriving innovation.

Managind Director of Business Durham, Sarah Slaven, welcomes all attendees of Tech NExt 2025 showcasing some of what makes Durham a great tech hub. From the spin outs of Durham University to the UK's premier science park, NetPark, the city remains as a powerhouse for innovation and collaboration in the fields of science and technology. 

Paul Watson, NICD:  

An overview from the National Innovation Centre for Data's Director  

Aaron Harris, Sage:  

Sage’s Global CTO, Aaron Harris, will take you behind the scenes of how Sage is delivering AI at scale across its global platform, serving thousands of SMBs worldwide. In this keynote, you’ll get an inside look at the breadth of Sage’s AI capabilities, the groundbreaking services already embedded into critical business workflows, and how our customers are using AI today to drive real outcomes. Aaron will dive deep into Sage’s technical strategy for building, scaling, and operationalizing AI across our product portfolio — and offer a preview of the next generation of innovations we’re bringing to market. If you want to see what it truly takes to deliver AI for millions of users, this is a session you won’t want to miss.

This exciting fringe event is part of TechNExt 2025 and brings together expert insights from M&S, Fenwick and Eldon Square; cutting-edge technology, and relaxed coworking opportunities. All of this is designed to help you explore how innovation is reshaping the high street as we know it.  

Explore the Technology  

Curious about what the high street of tomorrow may look like?  

Experience the next generation of retail technology, including magic mirrors, robotics, AR wayfinding, smart wearable technology, and lots more!  

Meet the technologists and innovators who are building the future of customer experience.  

Hear from the Experts  

Retail Panel Discussion: Is Technology Killing or Saving the High Street?  

Hear from leading voices in retail and regional technology as they explore the evolving role of technology in the retail sector. There will be the opportunity to learn more about innovation within the retail space to ask our expert panel any burning questions that you may have.  

Our panel speakers will be:  

Helen Cowie, Centre Director of Eldon Square  

Matt Wood, Deputy Director at Fenwick  

Vicky Donahue, Store Manager at M&S  

Andi Liddell, Animmersion UK  

Whether you are a retailer, technologist, student or simply curious, this event is for you!  

We hope to see you at The Highstreet Reimagined: Tech Retail Expo. For more information about this event, please get in touch with Jenna Ingoe by emailing: jenna.ingoe@sunderlandsoftwarecity.com

It's part of a two-day immersive retail event hosted in 5G Immersive Lab, Eldon Square. 

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Day 1: Monday 17 June – Retail Industry Focus (4:30 pm – 6pm time TBC)

with a potential panellists: Eldon Square, Fenwick, M&S, Vodafone, and creative

tech studio Lighthouse; 

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Day 2: Tuesday 18 June – Public Innovation Drop-in with an expo of different interactive tech demos, like: Magic Mirror (featuring River Island content), Cleaning robotics, Immersive clothing (smart/AR t-shirts), AR wayfinding apps (HyperAR, Zappar), AI Personal Shopper avatars, Scent/smell-enabled experiences, Virtual Mall app.

Join us for Esports Recovery and Future Growth - a dynamic panel exploring the future of UK esports. Hear from top voices including Kylie Kendrick (Senior Technical Specialist for Esports, Durham University), Matthew Ashford (Esports Psychologist, Guild Esports & Aston Villa), and others across the industry. We’ll discuss how to attract new players, fans, and funding, how to support young gamers, and whether it’s ever too late to get involved. Expect engaging insights, audience Q&A, and practical takeaways for players, parents, and professionals alike. This session is ideal for anyone passionate about the future of competitive gaming.

Understand what the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill means for SMEs, why they’re increasingly at risk, and how it connects to Cyber Essentials and ISO 27001. This webinar covers practical steps to prepare and how Melius CyberSafe helps SMEs with penetration testing, continuous monitoring, and compliance support.

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Melius CyberSafe + invited guests (tbc) will present this informative webinar with opportunities for Q&A and also pointing after the event to helpful resources for SMEs. 

Join us for a look into the world of advanced media production and the impact these tools are having on live performance. This interactive session will be led by Southpaw Dance Company, founded in 2013 under the artistic direction of Robby Graham, who consistently pushes the boundaries of dance theatre. The session will explore how technologies is opening new opportunities across the creative industries, culminating in live performance by Southpaw.

Join us at the BALTIC Riverside to celebrate TechNext25!TechNExt festival is a celebration of the North East's thriving technology sector.

Through a mixture of curated and community designed fringe events, TechNExt will serve as a showcase of the diversity, achievements and breadth of the tech sector in the North East. The festival aims to help drive the message that the North East is a region that is passionate about supporting, developing and growing its tech sector for the benefit of everyone.

Festival Party - Thursday 19 June (7.00pm - 11.00pm) - BALTIC Riverside Cafe, Gateshead

Complete your festival week the right way. TechNExt invites you to an informal festival party at the iconic BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Arts. It’s a moment to revel in the remarkable achievements of the North East tech sector while meeting and catching up with fellow tech enthusiasts and attendees from across the UK.

Food is provided, and as part of our Good Festival Ambition, please note that all catering at this event will be vegetarian. All additional dietary requirements will also be catered for, please state your needs on the booking form.

Good Festival Ambition

The festival is planned as a Good Festival with ‘for good’ being a core value running through everything. This will ensure a focus on quality, inclusivity, diversity, accessibility, and sustainability.

As part of this ambition, we are offering a buddy system where attendees can select the option to be met by a friendly face from the TechNExt team or wider community on arrival. Your buddy would help you feel comfortable at the event perhaps by chatting over a coffee on arrival, introducing you to new faces, or help you understand more about the content of the event and what's planned that day. You can apply for a 'buddy' through the ticket purchase process.

We are also committed to minimising the impact of our events on the environment. We work closely with our clients, venues, suppliers and delegates to reduce the impact of our activity wherever possible. Last year, the festival's carbon from curated events was 7.49 tCO2e and we decided, as an ethical offset, to donate the equivalent carbon credit value to a North East environmental charity, Groundwork North East & Cumbria for their nature-based solutions programme. More measures will be intoduced this year, tracking the festival's carbon footprint once again, leading us to further reduce our impact and become carbon neutral in future years.

You will be asked to complete some questions about your planned travel which will help us create the carbon footprint for the festival.

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Refunds

Please note our ticket refund policy below:

Up to 12 weeks before the event starts - full refundMore than 8 weeks before the event starts, but less than 12 weeks - 50% refundLess than 8 weeks before the event starts - no refund

The session will combine an abstract visual landscape experienced via an Apple Vision device, with a short Yoga Nidra. 

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Nidra, which literally translates as "sleep", is a form of NSDR (Non Sleeping Deep Rest), sort of like a guided meditation. The goal is bring the mind into a meditative state. Traditionally this practice is done in darkness, and the participants are guided via the voice of the facilitator. This new experience will combine that with the colour, motion and depth available with the VisionOS platform.

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The participants will be seated for safety as well as relaxation. 

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We only have access to one device. If it's possible to borrow some additional devices, the workshop could be run with a group of up to 10, and would last for 30-60 minutes. If that's not possible, the workshop could be run for one person at a time, with the experience lasting around 15 minutes instead. 

New to TechNExt in 2024, the Schools Challenge engages North East school children in tech and with tech employers in the region.  

Technology is all around us, but sometimes it‘s difficult to understand what a career in the tech industry might be like. The Schools Challenge will help school children get an insight into the industry.  

By focusing on ‘Tech for Good' and working with North East tech industry mentors, the Challenge invites school children between 9-13 years to develop an innovative tech-based solution that addresses a real life problem and could help them and the world they live in!  

This year, the students were encouraged to look at themes such as Gaming, Online Safety, the Planet, and Cyber & AI.  

Applications for the Schools Challenge have now closed.  

We will be celebrating the work of the participating schools on 20th June at the celebration event.  

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UK utilities business are increasingly turning to data-driven technologies to address the key challenges they face. Water utilities businesses and energy providers are adopting AI analytics, sensors and other cutting-edge technologies, and the data they provide, to deliver smarter and more sustainable services to their customers. This Opencast talk brings together key players in the North East utilities space and our partners to share their experience of harnessing technology for better, more sustainable services.

The demos will be fun and interactive and applicable to people with little to no knowledge of AI, as well as those with more technical and in-depth knowledge. We will also feature new/trending tech where possible. 

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Demos will showcase real work Accenture has done with clients, as well as proofs of concept, other AI examples from other companies, and will give people the chance to have a bit of fun with some generative AI tools. For example, we will have a ‘video prompt game’ where people can suggest a prompt for an existing photo (a bit like a ‘caption this’ activity), and the tool will turn it into a 15-second video. These examples are both impressive and funny, and give an idea of the current maturity of Generative AI. We will also look to bring new devices like the Rabbit smartphone, iPads with demos they can interact with, and potentially other hardware as well.

AI agents - opportunities and threats – an Opencast talk  

Gartner predicts that AI Agents are set to make 15% of day-to-day work decisions autonomously by 2028 – they’re here to stay and are only going to get more prolific. However, their potential is inextricably linked to a very difficult challenge – safeguarding intelligent agents against unintended outcomes, errors and ever-present cyber threats. Agents are effectively a “black box” and determining why an agent makes a particular choice is near impossible, making transparency and trust a major issue.  

This talk, featuring Opencast's Director of Technology Strategy Gordon Murray alongside User Research Practice Lead Marianne O’Loughlin, highlights the challenges, risks and dependencies and explores potential ways to ensure accuracy, transparency, security and ethical standards within agentic workflows.

“All I want to know is, what’s our gross profit for this work?”

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Answering simple questions can sometimes be really hard in business.  

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Reports which take 10s of hours to create, and are instantly out of date.

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Slower decision making, or paralysis simply waiting for the right data to make decisions.

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Why does this happen?

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Businesses have software which is storing data in silos – it simply doesn’t talk to each other.

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What happens next is lots of manual effort keeping it in sync, or just giving up.

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The real risk though? If it’s not connected already, how can you possibly leverage AI to make holistic assessments of the business, or drive holistic improvements?

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You’re destined to use AI in the business in a generic way, rather than a deep way which creates competitive advantage.

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The way to resolve this, is getting fundamentals right now.

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The solution is to create a strategy for tech, which involves an ‘integration layer’, designed to connect all data sources, and pipe it all into a business intelligence dashboard which tells you in real time how healthy your business is.

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Then, adding AI is way easier, and easier means speed.

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In this session, we will speak directly to business owners, to show how to drive innovative change around business intelligence, what you will need, and why it matters.

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The purpose of this is to create clarity from confusion, with a set of steps for those who do not want to wait any longer!

"What is Winning With Numbers? 

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Winning With Numbers is a structured and systemised number curriculum and learning platform that ensures children are fluent and confident with number by the age of ten.  

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Winning With Numbers was establised in the North East in 2022. 

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Too many children leave education without key knowledge and skills (DfE). 

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Winning With Numbers is an edtech programme that helps ensure all children are fluent and confident with number by the age of ten. 

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It runs a subscription model with schools as its main target audience and tutors and parents as a secondary target. 

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The Winning With Numbers curriculum identifies 300 small steps of progression and puts them in a straight-line sequence of learning making it easy for staff and parents to support children to move from one WIN to the next.  

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Each of the 300 WINs has a comprehensive suite of digital resources to be used in school and at home. The Winning With Numbers resources for all 300 WINs on the learning platform include:

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Subject knowledge training videos for staff  

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Sequential teaching videos and explicit instructions teaching videos  

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Online practice and retrieval questions  

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Online user feedback and support  

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Support videos for parents 

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Individual awards system 

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Whole school tracking       

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Winning With Numbers has thousands of users and we work with schools who want to boost their maths provision and upskill staff and support parents as they go. Winning With Numbers provides a complete package of training for staff, resources for lessons and assessment and support for parents.  

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Winning With Numbers founders, Ben Harding and Bethan Harding MBE are both experienced Headteachers and School Inspectors and have moved into the startup world! Both worlds equally intense but very different. There have been a number of learning journeys along the way as they have worked to bring entrepreneurship and education together!

"

The aim of the proposed session will be to introduce and further discuss NEST’s core mission, which is based on the following principles:  

1.. To promote the region as the sustainable technology capital of the UK;  

2.. To network and share best practice in the development and application of sustainable technology solutions;  

3.. To help educate and raise standards in sustainability best practice across all businesses in the region; and  

4.. To engage with representative bodies including political leadership in the region to promote better integration between sustainable technology businesses and education.  

The Facilitator & Panelists will provide a series of discussion points to highlight the benefit that these principles will bring to Partner Organisations and the broader public; essentially harnessing the power of Technology for Social and Environmental Good and in full alignment with the Ten Year Growth Plan of the North East Combined Authority [NECA].

Held in the Decision Theatre at the Catalyst, this event is expected to compliment the festival day at the Data & AI Hub giving delegates an opportunity to step out of the conference and explore practical applications and demonstrations of Data & AI.  It is expected to run over the lunch period so as not to deprive delegates of the opportunity to attend as may other ev ents as possible.  Therefore it is suggested the showcase runs from 11:30 - 13;30 and the room hire form 11:00 - 14:00 to enable set up and strip down.

This session will summarise current trends, opportunities and risks within AI implementation. Focus will be placed on the whole life cycle of a Machine Learning or AI solution from data gathering to evaluation of the developed models. Through a number of case-studies the benefits of adopting Data Science and AI methods will be explored. Keynote presentation with two presenters.   

A collaborative approach to workshop learning where attendees can work with Maven and other industry experts and advisors to: 

• Understand the process and benefits of raising equity finance, navigating the complexities of business ownership.
• Highlight the common challenges and pitfalls when speaking to investors.
• Provide practical insights and investment readiness tools and resources.
• Introduce active growth and fundraising opportunities for local tech businesses.

It’s a simple format of keynote speaker / fireside chat / panel followed by high quality networking. The panel discussion will be on AI Ecosystem in the North East with a Startup, Eco system partner/academia and a VC and industry player hosted by Twin path ventures (our VC partner for London AI Breakfast). Followed by a local AI start up showcasing their product and then networking. 

Agile teams often struggle with communication between design and technical teams, leading to uncertainty and confusion. This can result in unsustainable time lags and broken team dynamics, which have social and economic impacts on projects. This workshop will introduce methods, including presentation visuals, workshop techniques, and interactive sessions, to explore ways of working that create sustainable team dynamics.

Prediction does not equal control. The path to value delivery is not smooth, and both businesses and people need to roll with the impact of AI, decentralised models, quantum processing and more. This session develops elements of critical thinking and flexible planning for an uncertain future.

Led by Neil Wilson a partner in our Business Advisory team that works with early stage tech founders, our session would take the form of an interactive presentation with lots of time for audience participation and Q&A. 

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Key areas included are;

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• Income generation

• Revenue models

• Systems and processes

• Business structures

• Founder equity

• Types of funding and tax reliefs

Join Accenture for a thought provoking panel discussion around the impacts of Gen AI and how it's shaping the future! Some of our AI experts will be talking through the local and global impacts of AI along with some real life examples on how AI is shaping not just the technology sector, but the day to day lives of each of us.  

Host: Erin Kinnee  

Panellists: Rohan Nakashe, Danielle Armstrong, Elisio Silva.

The event will showcase the third sector’s best practice of bridging the gap between technology, accessibility, and communication. It will focus on the latest innovations and advancements of Tech for Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Hearing Communities, and offer opportunity to get hands on with the interactive activities on the day.

Product on the Tyne, in partnership with Tech on the Tyne, will bring together tech and product professionals from across the North-east to learn, share and network. The conference will welcome leading product experts, coaches and leaders along with with emerging voices at the forefront of cutting edge technology for a day of talks and practical workshops.

New for 2025 the TechNExt Family Days will be held across the region for families to discover the amazing opportunities available in the region's tech sector.

Experts will explore the growing demand for green skills, highlighting the importance of reskilling and upskilling in renewable energy, circular economy, and sustainable practices. They will discuss workforce challenges, policy support, and practical steps businesses can take to thrive in a low-carbon economy.

82% of executives believe immersive technologies will be important to their organisation’s success. But, overcoming potential barriers to adoption is key to ensuring their long-term impact.  

In this talk, we explore how to unlock the power of XR to impact workforce training, business operations, and customer engagement.  

We’ll showcase real-world success stories of companies leveraging XR. Attendees will walk away with actionable strategies for seamlessly integrating these technologies, overcoming adoption barriers while ensuring scalability and ROI.

Join us for a day of activities exploring Data, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning with industry leaders from the region and beyond.

Please note: Hub events are organised as individual sessions. To attend, you’ll need to register for each session you plan to join—there’s no general sign-up for the full day or venue.

AI-generated voices are now nearly indistinguishable from human speech yet research shows that listeners still detect them 73% of the time. So, what’s missing?  

In this engaging session, we’ll explore how vocal performance coaching and direction can improve AI voice models - whether the goal is clear, efficient TTS for home assistants or emotionally expressive AI voices for creative projects.  

Drawing on real-world AI voice projects, including a large-scale TTS assistant and insights from Sonantic’s groundbreaking "Faith" AI voice, this talk will:

• Examine how prosody, breath, and vocal variation impact user engagement
• Discuss the role of direction in AI voice data capture—and why it matters
• Raise ethical questions about the future of AI voices—will users ever truly believe an AI voice?

The session will be interactive, discussion-led, and thought-provoking, designed for AI developers, voice engineers, and anyone interested in how technology and human expression intersect.

The march of AI is moving at an exponential pace.  The regulation to govern it isn't…

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AI is being deployed into every facet of modern day life. But there are fundamental considerations around privacy and security, copyright and IP, automated decision making, unconscious bias, risk and liability – the list goes on.

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The regulatory landscape needed to govern the use of AI and address such concerns is nowhere near in place.  But it will evolve, and at different speeds in different geographies.  

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In this session, Matt Cormack, Head of the Company Commercial team at leading law firm Ward Hadaway, will look into his crystal ball to explore where regulation is currently, what is influencing its change,  where it is headed and how businesses can futureproof their development or use of AI. 

Agile teams often face the challenge of non-technical stakeholders and decision makers being uncertain about AI's capabilities in projects. This workshop will introduce methods, including presentation visuals, workshop techniques, and interactive sessions, to explain AI and its use in projects and future services.

We would like to propose that we chair a panel event made up of leaders in the field identified by us and by the TechNext and Dynamo teams.  Ideally a range of established and new businesses.  We don't propose this has a legal angle, but that our role is as facilitator and chair.  Something on the lines of….

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Let's get excited about AI! At this panel event…:

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Hear from those innovators whose businesses are leading the charge in the race to exploit this exciting technology.

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Listen to use cases where it has had a transformative impact on the businesses who are using it.

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Learn from the experiences entrepreneurs have had in getting ahead, and staying ahead, in their respective markets.

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Avoid the pitfalls they might have had along the way, and appreciate the challenges that moving at pace in a new field has to funding and financing.

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Consider the potential for local businesses to enhance the North East's reputation as a leader in the tech space.

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In this session, Matt Cormack, Head of the Company Commercial team at leading law firm Ward Hadaway, will chair this panel debate featuring [A, B and C].

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Speakers, facilitators and panelists *

Matthew Cormack, Partner, Head of Company Commercial, and leader of the firm's Tech sector group at law firm Ward Hadaway

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Panel to be worked on together to celebrate the region's AI sector

Our focus in Northumberland will be on Sustainability and Innovation. We will hear from sustainable tech leaders from the region and further afield.

Please note: Hub events are organised as individual sessions. To attend, you’ll need to register for each session you plan to join—there’s no general sign-up for the full day or venue.

Join us for a dynamic panel discussion featuring investor managers from Northstar Ventures, Maven Capital, Northern Gritstone, and NatWest Bank. Discover what makes a compelling value proposition, the key attributes investors seek in a business, and the critical success factors for new ventures. Gain valuable insights from industry experts and learn how to position your startup for investment success.

2x Tech talks from local technical leaders. Can be flexible on date. https://www.devhubnorth.com/

CleanTech is driving a historic economic shift in the North East—but do businesses have the digital capabilities to seize the opportunity?  

As offshore wind, renewable energy, and green industries grow along the North East’s coast, businesses must embrace digital transformation to stay competitive. From AI-powered efficiency and data-driven decision-making to digital infrastructure and interoperability, the right tech strategy will define who thrives in this new economy.  

Join this expert panel discussion as industry leaders, digital transformation consultants, and sustainability pioneers explore:  

🌍 The Digital Foundations of Clean Growth – What skills and systems businesses need to integrate sustainability and scale operations.  

📊 Digital sustainability in North East - Why is the North East poised for massive growth  

🌱How to build more sustainable products - What is the carbon impact of development and AI  

🔄 Interoperability & Collaboration – Why open digital ecosystems and partnerships are essential for growth and innovation.  

⚡ Bridging the Digital Skills Gap – What businesses in the North East must do to attract, train, and retain top digital talent.

A collaborative approach to workshop learning where attendees can work with Maven and other industry experts and advisors to: 

• Understand the process and benefits of raising equity finance, navigating the complexities of business ownership.
• Highlight the common challenges and pitfalls when speaking to investors.
• Provide practical insights and investment readiness tools and resources.
• Introduce active growth and fundraising opportunities for local tech businesses.

A roundtable event on a specific tech related topic, similar to our successful event last year. 

At a time where resources and budgets are coming under more pressure, how can we deliver more with less – or even the same with less? And how can we stay focused on outcomes with real impact?

Doing more with less is a panel discussion about how to address the challenges many organisations face around delivering technology solutions against a backdrop of limited resources. The panel will discuss the solutions that are available, including whether AI can help, how repeatable solutions like ‘scaffolding' make delivery more streamlined and how teams can continue to deliver impact.  

Speakers

• Hayley Addison, Deputy Director and Head of Payments, DWP Digital
• David Sarginson, Head of Architecture and Engineering, Opencast
• Henry Rex, Government Relations Director, Opencast (moderator)

Opencast is registering guests for its 2025 TechNExt fringe sessions on its own Eventbrite channel via the form below. These bookings won't appear on your personal TechNExt dashboard schedule but you will receive emails from Opencast with details about the event, travel and parking arrangements and reminders before the session.

Data is the backbone of digital transformation, and having a clear, scalable, and effective data strategy is critical. But where do you start? What tools and architectures should you use? And how do you ensure your strategy enables AI and machine learning innovation rather than becoming a bottleneck?  

This session, led by Steve Morland, CTO at Leighton, a software development business with deep experience in cloud-native data solutions, will explore the fundamentals of building a future-proof data strategy from both a business and technical perspective.  

In this session we'll explore:  

Where to start - Understanding your current data landscape and setting realistic objectives.  

What matters most - Defining key data capabilities, governance and aligning with business goals.  

What to use - The difference between databases, data lakes and data warehouses (and when to use each).  

How to execute - Building the right architecture, leveraging AI/ML and ensuring long-term scalability.

The event will showcase the Newcastle Deaf Centre's NDC's best practice of bridging gap between technology, accessibility, and communication via activities that include Tech for Health, Digital Technologies and AI. It will focus on the latest innovations and advancements in Tech, its importance in today's world and its benefits for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Hearing Communities. DC Make Some Noise: Take Courage With Tech! will also offer opportunity to get hands on with the interactive activities on the day.

Dive into the future of sustainable virtual production at the Immersive Hub during the TechNExt 2025 festival! This exciting session, presented by the CoSTAR network, will feature insights from the CoSTAR Live Lab. Discover how innovative carbon platforms are being developed to monitor and reduce energy output in virtual production environments. Don't miss this opportunity to learn from industry leaders and explore the cutting-edge technologies driving sustainability across the world of Advanced Media.

• Introductions 
• Session aims
• A bit about you (tell us about you and your business)
• NICA/IOCT – how we/our clients use data and insights 
• What we do – user testing (with general public), surveys, human experience/UX design, creating dashboards
• Funded support and grant offering
• Breakout session – how does your organisation use data/insights, what have you learned, what’s missing?
• Feedback
• Next steps
• Close

The session will feature a short presentation and a panel discussion between Rightbrain AI and companies that have been using various AI tools to build AI-native apps. It will cover lessons learned from a year of building LLM-powered applications, common challenges and best-practice.  

From there, we will look at the applications of LLMs - what are they good for and what are they not good for. We will also ground this in the current state of the market and wider trends.

The session would be aimed at any type of tech business, or other type of business, that uses AI products - whether that is content creation, interactive legal assistants, text to speech tools,  copywriting, document creation, or anything else. We would cover:

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1. The AI Ownership Conundrum

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AI is creating billions of artifacts daily - text, images, code, music. BUT traditional IP frameworks weren't designed for non-human creators. 

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How can businesses be confident that they own the IP and data in what they create (using these tools) and that they are not infringing third party rights? 

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1. The Current Legal Landscape and Key Stakeholders

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Copyright traditionally requires human creativity, patent law demands human inventors. Trade mark protection focuses on consumer confusion. Jurisdictional differences create global compliance challenges.

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AI developers claim rights to system outputs, AI developers claim rights to system outputs, prompt engineers assert creative direction. Training data contributors demand attribution and compensation, end users expect ownership of what they "commission" and traditional content creators fear market disruption.

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So…where does this leave business owners who want to know where they stand?

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1. Training Data – the Foundation of Ownership Claims

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The role of data in AI output - what has the model been trained on? Who owns that data, is use of that data permitted?

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Are there copyright, trade mark or other IP infringement issues to worry about in terms of the content used to train the tool? If so, for whom is that a risk?

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1. Infringing Outputs 

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Does the output infringe copyright, trade mark rights or other IP?  Is the content similar to existing materials? Who is liable for infringement?

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Do any defences apply?

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1. Practical Guidance for AI Users

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Review the Terms of Service for all AI tools you use and obtain appropriate licences or assignments of IP rights.

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Document your creative processes carefully and keep detailed records,

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Implement clear processes within your business for the use of generative AI and consider labelling AI generated work.

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1. Practical Guidance for AI Providers

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Provide transparent disclosure around training data and give users clear terms of service about output ownership. 

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Keep detailed records of materials and data used to train AI models and consider opt-in models for creator content.

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1. Round up and questions. 

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Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly reshaping industries and workplaces; its influence extends beyond technology and economics—it is fundamentally changing the landscape of UK employment law and how employers and employees interact. This session will explore how AI is challenging traditional employment frameworks, raising critical questions about employee rights, workplace ethics, and the future of work.

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We'll dive into the following key topics:

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1. AI and Worker Classification: As automation and AI systems become more integrated into workplaces, there is an increasing blurring of lines between employees, contractors, and freelancers. We'll discuss how UK employment law must evolve to account for new types of work relationships that AI technology is fostering.
2. Data Protection and Privacy: With AI systems collecting vast amounts of personal data, we'll examine the intersection of AI and the UK's GDPR regulations. How can organizations ensure that AI-driven practices comply with privacy laws, and how does this impact employee monitoring and surveillance?
3. Discrimination and Bias in AI: AI systems, if not properly designed, can perpetuate biases—whether in hiring, promotions, redundancy exercises or performance evaluations. We'll explore the legal implications and risks, and specifically how UK laws address potential discrimination in AI decision-making.
4. The Future of Employment Contracts: As AI takes over more routine tasks, employees will increasingly take on higher-level roles. What does this mean for employment contracts? We'll consider how traditional contracts might need to adapt to accommodate AI in relation to flexible work arrangements, remote work, and the gig economy.
5. Health and Safety Concerns: AI and automation in the workplace raise concerns over mental health, job displacement, and retraining requirements. We'll analyse how the UK's legal framework can address these new workplace health and safety challenges.
6. Practical Tips: What practical steps should employers be taking to address these issues and ensure they are able to capitalise the benefits of AI whilst avoiding the legal potential legal pitfalls.

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By the end of this session, attendees will have a deeper understanding of the legal challenges and opportunities AI presents within the UK labour market, and how employers can navigate this new landscape to ensure fair, transparent, and compliant work environments.

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This presentation is essential for legal professionals, HR leaders, policymakers, and anyone interested in the future of work in an AI-driven world.

In this thought-provoking 45-minute keynote, we'll explore the impact algorithms have on our daily lives, tracing their evolution from early computer vision to advanced generative AI. We'll review the key innovations that made this possible and some of the limitations and ethical considerations associated with generative and predictive AI.  

We'll discuss DeepSeek's disruption of the AI industry, evaluate whether current AI reflects true advancement or another cycle of inflated expectations. In our final segment we’ll address the fascinating question of machine consciousness and its potential impact on the future of work.

Join us for the opening of TechNExt Festival 2025. Hear from inspirational speakers in tech, what's in store for festival week and lots moreTechNExt festival is a celebration of the North East's thriving technology sector.

Through a mixture of curated and community designed fringe events, TechNExt will serve as a showcase of the diversity, achievements and breadth of the tech sector in the North East. The festival aims to help drive the message that the North East is a region that is passionate about supporting, developing and growing its tech sector for the benefit of everyone.

Main Stage Conference - Monday 16 June (8.45am - 1.15pm) - Crowne Plaza, Newcastle

This year we are kicking off TechNExt25 with our Main Stage Conference. This half day event will feature a single stream of thought provoking conference talks from leaders in technology and related industries. Visit our website for more information.

Lunch is provided, and as part of our Good Festival Ambition, please note that all catering at this event will be vegetarian. All additional dietary requirements will also be catered for, please state your needs on the booking form.

Good Festival Ambition

The festival is planned as a Good Festival with ‘for good’ being a core value running through everything. This will ensure a focus on quality, inclusivity, diversity, accessibility, and sustainability.

As part of this ambition, we are offering a buddy system where attendees can select the option to be met by a friendly face from the TechNExt team or wider community on arrival. Your buddy would help you feel comfortable at the event perhaps by chatting over a coffee on arrival, introducing you to new faces, or help you understand more about the content of the event and what's planned that day. You can apply for a 'buddy' through the ticket purchase process.

We are also committed to minimising the impact of our events on the environment. We work closely with our clients, venues, suppliers and delegates to reduce the impact of our activity wherever possible. Last year, the festival's carbon from curated events was 7.49 tCO2e and we decided, as an ethical offset, to donate the equivalent carbon credit value to a North East environmental charity, Groundwork North East & Cumbria for their nature-based solutions programme. More measures will be intoduced this year, tracking the festival's carbon footprint once again, leading us to further reduce our impact and become carbon neutral in future years.

You will be asked to complete some questions about your planned travel which will help us create the carbon footprint for the festival.

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Refunds

Please note our ticket refund policy below:

Up to 12 weeks before the event starts - full refundMore than 8 weeks before the event starts, but less than 12 weeks - 50% refundLess than 8 weeks before the event starts - no refund

Join the Energy Central team and learn about the partnership is supporting innovation throughout Northumberland's offshore wind sector. Hear from:  

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• ORE Catapult who will be showcasing the DARE Centre which centres on Digital, Autonomous and Robotics Engineering as well as the TIGGOR programme

• Port of Blyth sustainability plans including the investment in their first electric crane and the new, first ever 5G innovation lab which is operating in Blyth, offering a unique digital offering to the Port.

• Energy Central Campus who will provide insight into the workforce of the future and discuss what the Learning Hub and Institute can offer.

• A business TBC

How can we turn promising innovation into real progress in the complex, high-stakes world of healthcare? In a sector where the ambition to innovate responsibly and improve patient outcomes is already widely shared, the real challenge lies in making it happen. 

This means navigating organisational complexity, skills gaps, limited capacity, infrastructure challenges and leadership hurdles. This panel will explore how we can move beyond ideas and into delivery, connecting with the State of Digital Government report recommendations and considering the short and longer-term opportunities emerging from the NHS England abolition. We'll examine how to unlock meaningful progress on data and service innovation, AI and sustainability in health and social care. To innovate not just boldly but effectively, so we can achieve better outcomes for patients.  

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Speakers

Gordon Cullum, Technology Director, Axiologik and Chief Architect, NHS England Screening  

Ute Schauberger, UCD Service Design Practice Lead, Opencast  

Lisa Sewell, Director of Data and Informatics, North East & Yorkshire GenomicsService and Programme Director, Great North Record  

Murray Ellender, GP and Head of UK Healthcare, Huma (moderator)  

Opencast is registering guests for its 2025 TechNExt fringe sessions on its own Eventbrite channel via the form below. These bookings won't appear on your personal TechNExt dashboard schedule but you will receive emails from Opencast with details about the event, travel and parking arrangements and reminders before the session.

Grant funding can be a game-changer for startups, but many founders don’t know where to start. This session will break down the process, where to find grants, how to apply, and what makes a winning bid, without the jargon. Expect to find out what grants are currently available, a mix of expert insights, real-world founder experiences, and practical advice. Grant funders, successful applicants, and bid writers will share their knowledge, making this an invaluable session for anyone looking to fund their business without giving away equity.

In this session, we’ll explore the strategy behind creating a truly joined-up government experience—and why getting data right is at the heart of it. We’ll unpack the key challenges and share real examples of how departments are tackling them, from building the National Data Library to shaping the future of government’s data strategy.  

You’ll hear why consistent data standards and interoperability are essential foundations—and how teams across CDDO, DfE, GDS, HMCTS, and DWP are already making progress.  

We’ll showcase the scale of the ambition, highlight the practical work underway, and shine a light on what it really takes to deliver connected, user-centred services across government.

A collaborative approach to workshop learning where attendees can work with Maven and other industry experts and advisors to: 

• Understand the process and benefits of raising equity finance, navigating the complexities of business ownership.
• Highlight the common challenges and pitfalls when speaking to investors.
• Provide practical insights and investment readiness tools and resources.
• Introduce active growth and fundraising opportunities for local tech businesses.

The digital skills gap is a key challenge and priority right now. If organisations are to build the right products and services, they need the right people and capabilities to be able to deliver.

The session shares ideas and approaches for building capability, as well as practical solutions to accelerate capability in product delivery. We’ll look at the latest agendas and highlight examples of what works, including helping to build a culture for skills development.  

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Speakers

Robert Craig, Chief Operations Officer, Skills Builder Partnership  

Kara Kane, Head of Design, Test, Learn and Grow, Cabinet Office  

Sarah McMann, Chief Product Officer, HMRC  

Victoria Reilly, Director of People and Organisational Development, Opencast  

Cate Kalson, Chief People and Operations Officer, Opencast (moderator).  

Opencast is registering guests for its 2025 TechNExt fringe sessions on its own Eventbrite channel via the form below. These bookings won't appear on your personal TechNExt dashboard schedule but you will receive emails from Opencast with details about the event, travel and parking arrangements and reminders before the session.

This one-hour panel session explores one of the most provocative and timely questions facing the future of healthcare: "Will AI replace the Doctor?". As artificial intelligence continues to advance in diagnostics, triage, and decision support, the boundaries between human and machine expertise in medicine are rapidly shifting.  

Bringing together voices from software development, digital health innovation and MedTech, this session will delve into how AI is currently being built and integrated into healthcare systems—and what that means for the role of clinicians going forward.  

Through a dynamic panel discussion and interactive Q&A, we’ll examine whether AI is on a path to replace human judgment, or if the future lies in a more collaborative model between algorithms and professionals.  

Themes will include the power and limits of medical AI, patient trust, regulation, data ethics, and the redefinition of clinical roles in an AI-augmented world.  

A must-attend for technologists, innovators, healthcare professionals, and anyone curious about the future of medicine.

As technology continues to reshape healthcare, we’re seeing remarkable opportunities emerge…

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At NIHR Innovation Observatory, our team has been exploring what’s coming next and, trust us, the future looks incredible! We’ve uncovered some of the most exciting emerging technologies with the potential to transform health and care as we know it. Think: quantum technologies, bioengineering, wearables, and artificial intelligence — all packed with game changing potential.​

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Join us for an inspiring session with team members Pauline Addis, Ross Fairbairn, Kate Lanyi, and Julia Whitehall as they reveal the discoveries shaking up the pipeline.​

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Expect a relaxed, interactive panel with time for audience questions and a peek into the future that could soon be shaping your health and care experience.​

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Don’t miss your chance to get ahead of the curve! Sign up now and see what’s coming next…

Session Title: AI in Action: Real-World Use Cases  

Description:  

This engaging session will explore how businesses are leveraging AI for automation, customer engagement, and predictive analytics. We'll showcase real-world case studies, highlighting the successes, challenges, and lessons learned from implementing AI solutions across various industries.  

The format will include a panel discussion featuring industry experts, followed by an interactive Q&A session. Attendees will gain practical insights into how AI is transforming operations and driving business growth, along with actionable strategies for overcoming common implementation challenges.  

We aim to provide a space for learning, discussion, and networking, where participants can explore the future of AI in business and share their experiences.

A keynote session to highlight the climate crisis is not just an environmental challenge - it is a systemic failure of an economic model built on perpetual growth, resource extraction and financial speculation. 

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Whilst mainstream approaches to Decarbonisation focus on green industrial expansion, clean technology and market incentives, they often fail to address the fundamental issue: an economy that demands ever-increasing production and consumption will always exceed ecological limits, regardless of how “green” [or “clean”] it appears.

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The North East stands at a crossroads. It can pursue the well-worn path of competing for investment and technological development in a race for “green growth,” or it can embrace a more radical, resilient alternative - one that prioritises well-being over GDP, sufficiency over expansion and ecological balance over corporate profitability. 

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Instead of chasing innovation for innovation’s sake, we must ask: how do we design an economy that enables communities to thrive within planetary boundaries?

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Through seven "interventions", this keynote presents a post-growth vision for the North East - one that redefines prosperity, prioritises local resilience and builds a truly Just and Sustainable future beyond the constraints of the growth paradigm.

Join us for an insightful workshop on MLOps, where we'll explore the crucial steps of deploying machine learning models into production. This workshop will cover practical techniques and best practices for ensuring your models are not only functional but also robust and scalable. We'll start with a brief introduction to MLOps and its importance in the machine learning lifecycle. By the end of this workshop, you'll have a solid understanding of the end-to-end deployment process, enabling you to take your models from development to production efficiently.

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This workshop is ideal for data scientists, ML engineers, and anyone interested in learning about production-ready model deployment. Code will be kept to a minimum, however some example code in R and Python will be provided via GitHub for anyone interested. This workshop will be delivered by Myles Mitchell, a Principal Data Scientist @ Jumping Rivers Ltd.

TBC

Get the 20 June in the diary for our Tech Startup Hub where we'll have a packed day of activities for Tech Startups at all stages of development.

Please note: Hub events are organised as individual sessions. To attend, you’ll need to register for each session you plan to join—there’s no general sign-up for the full day or venue.

"Data Minimisation: Can it Save the Planet?" tackles the urgent issue of data's environmental impact within AI and data-driven tech. This session, highly relevant to a Data & AI themed space, examines the challenges of balancing climate commitments with the realities of data growth.". We'll examine GDPR's data minimisation principle, exploring its role in carbon reduction and efficiency.

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Join Luke Beckley, DPO, Head of Privacy & Data Governance at Corella (and self-proclaimed Data Provocateur), and Morgan Attias, Product Innovation Manager at Infotel, for a dynamic presentation and Q&A. Luke brings his expertise in data privacy and governance, challenging conventional data paradigms, while Morgan contributes insights on product innovation and system efficiency.

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The format includes an engaging presentation, followed by a live Q&A via a barcode system. We'll present data-backed insights on data processing and energy use, offering practical steps for organisations to adopt data minimisation. Key topics: mapping data to carbon footprints, streamlining audits, and improving data governance.

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Expect a blend of theory and real-world examples, empowering attendees to take data responsibility. We'll discuss data quantity vs. quality, and regulatory compliance's role in sustainability. Prepare for a thought-provoking discussion on data minimisation's potential for a sustainable future.

The session will look at how SMEs across multiple sectors and regions can take advantage of the skills and expertise at the Hartree National Centre for Digital Innovation (HNCDI) SME Hubs. The work carried out by the regional hubs enables small and medium-sized businesses to enhance productivity and gain a competitive advantage through the adoption of advanced digital technologies such as data analytics, visual computing and AI.  

There will be an introduction to the Hartree National Centre for Digital Innovation and the  Hartree Centre SME Hubs. We will outline what we do as a collaborative to support regional SMEs in the areas of Data Science and AI and types of assistance we offer within the programme, focussing on the positive impact this is having across organisations. This will be followed by three presentations from a business from each of the hubs (North East Hub, Northern Ireland Hub and Cardiff Hub).

A panel event hosted by Blu Sky, with three north east entrepreneurs who have successfully sold and exited their businesses. We’ll dig into preparation, planning, the processes and the practicalities. We’ll also discuss individual motivations and the emotional journey. If you want to understand the key components of a successful business sale then this panel is for you.  

Panelists will include:

• Dave Gibson, Co-founder and Chairman of Blu Sky Chartered Accountants
• Ron Ashtiani - Founder who exited Atomhawk
• Ed Bartlett - CEO of HiComply, formerly exited Kykloud
• Maureen Wright - Founder of Westray Recruitment

Lego Serious Play is a facilitation methodology developed at The Lego Group that sits at the intersection of business, creativity and psychology.  

Participants build their own three-dimensional LEGO model in response to a series of sector-specific questions.  

In this session we will be using the method to explore aspects of sustainability that will lead to breakthrough ideas that would have remained hidden using more traditional methods. All while having fun!

A collaborative approach to workshop learning where attendees can work with Maven and other industry experts and advisors to: 

• Understand the process and benefits of raising equity finance, navigating the complexities of business ownership.
• Highlight the common challenges and pitfalls when speaking to investors.
• Provide practical insights and investment readiness tools and resources.
• Introduce active growth and fundraising opportunities for local tech businesses.

Design Talks is an inclusive event that welcomes designers and creatives from various backgrounds and disciplines to come together, share their ideas and experiences, and learn from one another.  

Our goal is to create a warm and welcoming environment where attendees can learn, share, and grow both personally and professionally.  

At Design Talks, we understand the importance of staying up-to-date with the latest trends, tools, and techniques in the ever-evolving world of design. That's why we provide a platform for creatives to expand their knowledge and make new connections.  

Whether you're a seasoned professional or just starting your design career, Design Talks has something for you.  

Our speakers are pros in their fields and provide valuable insights and advice on a range of topics related to design.  

We're committed to creating a space where everyone feels welcome, respected, and valued. We believe that by bringing together people from different backgrounds and perspectives, we can create a more vibrant and innovative design community.  

So if you're a creative looking to connect with other like-minded individuals and stay ahead of the curve in the world of design, we invite you to join us at our next Design Talks event.  

LinkedIn: DesignTalks   

IG: _designtalks

In the green economy, businesses need to evidence their sustainability credentials, but without the right data, where do they even begin?  

Data is the key to measuring, optimising, and scaling sustainability efforts—but how do you use it effectively? This 30-minute workshop is designed for business stakeholders who want to level up in sustainability but don’t know where to start.  

Key Discussion Points:

• What digital sustainability means & why data is essential
• How to collect, track & analyse sustainability data without complexity
• Simple tools & frameworks to integrate data into your business operations
• How to use data for compliance, efficiency, and impact measurement
• Data for Good – How AI, automation, and predictive analytics can drive sustainability in operations.

After the session, you’ll receive a practical guide outlining key steps and best practices to start your data-driven sustainability journey.

This session will explore the possible use-cases for technology in the context of sustainability, which should be useful for both start-ups and established companies alike.  The presentation will focus on the risk and compliance aspects of impact reporting and greenwashing risk management, from both a legal and commercial aspect.  It will be sector agnostic and will be useful to a range of organisations, from manufacturing to financial services.  The session will also touch on the environmental impacts of technology and how organisations should be mindful when using tech tools and AI.

In an increasingly digital world, traditional in-person CBT therapy remains out of reach for many, whether that be due to distance, mobility challenges, or accessibility barriers. We knew there had to be a better way to give people the treatment they deserve. That’s why, in 2024, we launched Boundless—a breakthrough software designed to make XR therapy as simple and seamless as a Zoom call. With Boundless, even the most remote patients can access the support, care, and connection they deserve, redefining what’s possible in mental health. At this event, we’ll share how XR is transforming therapy, the challenges we’ve overcome, and why immersive technology is the future of accessible healthcare. We’d love the opportunity to speak and showcase how innovation can break down barriers to care.

There’s £trillions pouring into climate tech, but the spotlight is always on the headline acts – EVs, solar, and carbon capture. Meanwhile, huge gaps remain in the systems that will actually make Net Zero work.  

The shift is already underway, and the founders who focus on the overlooked but critical areas will be the ones who win.  

Amy Mooney, clean heat founder of Mutha Cuva, breaks down why the UK’s Net Zero plan rests on fragile foundations, where the next wave of climate tech investment is headed, and the hidden startup opportunities waiting to be seized. No fluff. Just real, untapped potential – and how to get ahead of it.

Peter Bull, co-founder of Cluarantonn helping new or existing podcasters and Microsoft MVP for .NET and Windows Development, is hosting this workshop aimed at beginners or experienced developers to build a Podcast AI with Blazor, part of .NET from Microsoft, to generate episode ideas or anything else using the freely available AI models you can experiment with on GitHub Models.  

The workshop will begin with an overview and getting setup for Blazor, including installing .NET and Visual Studio Code on Windows or Mac. You’ll also learn how to use or create a free GitHub Account to be able to access the AI models on GitHub Models.  

Then the workshop will guide you step-by-step through creating a Blazor project that integrates an AI model using GitHub Models to not only build a Podcast AI that generates episode ideas but also form the basis of generating anything else using AI!  

For the workshop you’ll need to bring a Windows or Mac Laptop that you can install applications on, but you’ll be told what to install and how. You’ll need details of a GitHub Account if you have one or access to your email if you don’t to create one.

Uncertainty is everywhere and, in 2025, you might be wondering how much time to spend on a five year strategy. Who knows what is around the corner? 

People are leaving, taking institutional knowledge with them; AI is replacing functions and muddying the water when it comes to careers; tariffs, taxes and an unpredictable global landscape makes it difficult to forecast – And in the face of uncertainty and unpredictability, we all want to be more diverse, more sustainable and more secure.  

Fallon Taylor and Dawn Newman from the Agile Business Consortium believe that Business Agility is the answer to these problems and more.  

Join our North East team to find out how the Framework for Business Agility (FBA) could unlock your ability to work with AI, rather than against it, capitalise on uncertainty and overcome challenges... all without a wasted 5 year plan.  

The session will start with an overview of the problems, with some examples of what happens when things go wrong.  

We’ll talk about AI and how it can be harnessed for good, enhancing roles rather than replacing them and how it can provide support through additional capacity, insight and work hours – and we’ll explain how Governance for Business Agility could help adoption and use of AI, and to keep us safe! 

Next we’ll move on to the impact of the economy, AI (again) and flexible working on career development, succession planning and skills.  As a careers and employability advisor, Dawn will talk about common hurdles for individuals and Fallon will talk to the organisational impact of these changes, before we explain how Business Agility can make these problems into opportunities for skills development, staff retention and navigating difficult financial landscapes with your team.  

After working through recruitment, retention and reporting issues, Fallon and Dawn will explain how Business Agility can improve diversity, increase confidence and instil resilience into your systems, people and processes through incremental implementation and improvement before signposting to free resources and support.  

This session will look at how your start up can be protected in respect of using data, developing and commercialising intellectual property, and what potential investors are looking for in respect of sensible risk management and governance.  

We will look at your first relationships - with your co-founders, your first customers, your first employees and your suppliers.  

Ensuring you start off correctly means that you are ready for investment and a future exit, along with ensuring your business can come through challenges as robustly as possible.

• Meet Leading Employers – Connect with top companies actively hiring across all experience levels.
• Upskilling & Training Opportunities – Explore certifications, reskilling programmes, and career development workshops.
• Career Growth for All – Whether you're a seasoned professional seeking leadership roles or a newcomer breaking into the industry, there’s something here for you.
• Inspiring Career Talks – Hear from leading organisations about the future of tech careers, emerging trends, and how to thrive in the industry.
• Expand Your Network – Build valuable connections with employers, training providers, and career mentors.

Why Attend?

• Meet Leading Employers – Connect with top companies actively hiring across all experience levels.
• Upskilling & Training Opportunities – Explore certifications, reskilling programmes, and career development workshops.
• Career Growth for All – Whether you're a seasoned professional seeking leadership roles or a newcomer breaking into the industry, there’s something here for you.
• Inspiring Career Talks – Hear from leading organisations about the future of tech careers, emerging trends, and how to thrive in the industry.
• Expand Your Network – Build valuable connections with employers, training providers, and career mentors.

Who Should Attend

This event is for everyone – from experienced professionals aiming for senior roles to career switchers and fresh talent exploring digital and tech careers.  

With the careers fair theme being ‘Opportunities for All’, we are committed to creating an inclusive space for all backgrounds, career stages, and skill levels.

Additional Event Features

• Live Talks by Industry Leaders – Gain insights from top organisations on tech careers and industry trends.
• CV Clinic & Career Coaching – Get expert advice on your CV and career strategy.
• Exclusive Networking Opportunities – Opt to share your details with exhibitors at the sign-up stage to enable potential follow-ups after the event.
• Free LinkedIn/Passport-Style Photos – Elevate your professional profile with a polished headshot.
• Travel Support* – Partial reimbursements are available for those on state benefits (ESA).
• Diversity & Inclusion Commitment*– Tailored support is available for neurodivergent attendees and underrepresented groups.
• Child-Friendly Hour (13:30-14:30) – While all are welcome throughout the event, this hour is specifically designed to support parents attending with children.
• Healthy Refreshments – Complimentary fruit will be provided to keep you energised.

*Applications must be submitted in advance. Terms and conditions apply. 

Don't Miss out - Register Today!

This is your chance to take the next step in your career. Sign up now and unlock all the opportunities this careers fair has to offer – completely free of charge.  

Spaces are limited – only 415 spots are available! Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. Secure your spot now!   

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Applied Creativity – AI, Innovation and You

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Overview

Applied Creativity – AI, Innovation, and You is a dynamic one-hour keynote or a two-hour interactive workshop designed to inspire, engage and practically demonstrate how creative thinking can be combined with artificial intelligence to revolutionise problem-solving within forward-thinking organisations.

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A framework for creative thinking, Applied Creativity draws on neuroscience, Synectics and practical AI tools (LLMs & GANs) to help people accelerate their creativity and leaders get more from their teams. This session uses compelling stories and interactive experiences to inspire attendees to overcome creative barriers and drive sustainable innovation.

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Why Applied Creativity?

“Our heads are round to allow our thoughts to change direction.” — Francis Picabia

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The human brain is the ultimate problem-solving machine. Yet, most fail to use it to its full potential. From the moment we are born, we demonstrate astonishing ability—learning to walk and mastering language—before stepping into a classroom, where, instead of flourishing, we are systematically conditioned to recognise our limitations.

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The workplace is no different. How often have you sat in meetings where colleagues compete for the ‘best’ idea, talking past one another rather than listening? Where your ideas are dismissed, innovation is stifled and frustration takes hold.

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We have the potential to achieve more, individually and collectively. AI accelerates this potential, but tools alone are not enough. We need a methodology. Applied Creativity provides it.

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Example Session Structure 

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Engaging Opening Story 

Relatable storytelling highlighting typical innovation roadblocks in tech organisations.

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Introduction to Applied Creativity and AI as powerful problem-solving tools.

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Interactive Demonstration 

Walk through Applied Creativity methodology that uses group dynamics and AI:

Understanding: Frame problems clearly to identify overlooked perspectives.

Speculation: Demonstrate creative excursions using metaphors and analogies.

Force Fit: Show how unrelated ideas can be creatively combined into actionable viewpoints.

Developing Viewpoints: validating and evaluating ideas towards solutions.

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Audience Engagement (proposed)

Invite audience members to select real-time challenges.

Demonstrate where and how to introduce AI can rapidly generate novel ideas to explore.

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Inspirational Close 

Provide clear, actionable insights and access to practical AI toolkits for immediate application.

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Real-World Challenges (two-hour workshop version)

Each attendee is asked to bring a challenge to the session.

The entire cohort is introduced to the Applied Creativity framework.

The cohort is broken down into small groups of 5 to 7 people.

Each selects a challenge to address, and roles and responsibilities are agreed upon.

The groups work through the four-step process (understanding, speculation, force fit, and viewpoints) using LLM (text) and GAN (image generation) AI at key points.

Each group shares what they have learned with the wider cohort.

Benefits of the Session

Practical Innovation: Attendees learn actionable steps that can increase innovation.

Immediate Impact: Demonstrates real-time problem-solving capabilities of human creativity enhanced by AI.

Cultural Transformation: Provides techniques that embed creativity into organisational practices.

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Ideal Audience

Tech professionals, innovators, team leaders, startup founders and decision-makers passionate about driving innovative solutions efficiently and sustainably.

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Why This Matters for TechNExt 2025

This session aligns perfectly with TechNExt’s vision to champion sustainability through innovation and practical AI. Participants will leave inspired, empowered and equipped to solve their most pressing challenges by fostering a culture of continuous innovation and practical problem-solving.

Speaker/Facilitator

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Des Kennedy

An experienced professional in strategic design, communications and organisational development, Des provides expertise to leadership across a diverse range of sectors. A creative consultant, OKR coach and critical thinker, whether helping align organisations with their strategic goals, positioning businesses for success or spearheading innovation, he brings a wealth of knowledge and high-impact contributions to any project he undertakes.

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Mobile: 07710 775771

Email: hello@deskennedy.com

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This year we are kicking off TechNExt25 with our Main Stage Event. This half day event will feature a single stream of thought provoking talks from leaders in technology and related industries.  

We will welcome attendees from across the north east tech sector ecosystem including business leaders, those who work in tech roles and within tech organisations, academia, local authority representatives and key national stakeholders.  

Lunch is provided, and as part of our Good Festival Ambition, please note that all catering at this event will be vegetarian. All additional dietary requirements will also be catered for, please state your needs on the booking form.  

Agenda  

Arrival and refreshments: 8:30am  

Part one: 9:15am   

Welcome  

Intro from Phil Witcherley, NECA  

Zoe Kleinman: "Tech, Talent and Tomorrow's World"  

Tom Foster-Carter: "State of Unicorn Kingdom"  

Part two: 11:10am   

Emran Mian, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT)  

Festival Week Preview - Look forward to what's ahead  

Lunch: 12:30pm

An exploration of the intersect of UCD and AI, and how to ensure users get maximum value and experience from AI. In this practical talk, Opencast specialists and our partners will explore how and when to leverage the value of AI for the benefit of the user, including making the right decisions about AI in service delivery, and the idea of 'pairing' with AI to augment and support delivering  services that meet users' needs.

A masterclass on what market strategy is, why it is typically overlooked and how to make sure it isn't in your tech start up. From business goals through product roadmap, taking in positioning and messaging, business models and aligning with sales, culminating in how we can develop a marketing plan that is fit for purpose in the real world. This masterclass includes real world examples, and will be highly interactive with participants. At the end of the masterclass, participants will understand the questions they need to ask and answer to make sure they aren't throwing money, time and effort and purely tactical promotional marketing, but actually have a strategy to engage customers and the wider audience with products and messaging that resonate.

The North East is at the cutting edge of Immersive technologies such as XR, VR and AR with centres of national significance including our hosts at PROTO.

Please note the Immersive Hub is still adding sessions and the programme is still subject to change.

Hub events are organised as individual sessions. To attend, you’ll need to register for each session you plan to join—there’s no general sign-up for the full day or venue.