New programme, leveraging techUK’s Impact
The Education and EdTech Programme at techUK brings together education leaders, technology providers, and policymakers to drive innovation, shape policy, and strengthen the UK’s position as a global leader in education technology. The programme ensures that schools, colleges, and universities have access to the right technology, spanning digital infrastructure, emerging innovations, and essential technology skills, to enhance learning, improve operational efficiency, and support lifelong skills development.
We work to bridge traditionally fragmented parts of the education sector, fostering collaboration between EdTech innovators and educators to ensure technology is grounded in evidence, delivers meaningful learning outcomes, and contributes to a thriving UK economy.
Education and EdTech programme activity
Click on the tabs below to find out what activity our Education and EdTech programme is working on.
Upcoming events
Programme pillars
The techUK Education and EdTech Council is structured around three key pillars, each reflecting a distinct area where technology is shaping the future of education. This division ensures that Council members can focus on the most pressing challenges and opportunities within their area of expertise while maintaining a coordinated approach to sector-wide innovation.
Education 2030 – tech foundations (schools and colleges)
For schools to embrace AI, automation, and digital transformation, they must first have access to secure, future-proof technology foundations. This stream focuses on overcoming barriers to digital adoption, ensuring schools can modernise without increasing risks or operational burdens.
Key areas of focus:
- Smarter procurement – Promoting transparent, scalable technology procurement models.
- Cybersecurity and digital resilience – Ensuring secure digital infrastructure and best practices for safeguarding data.
- Interoperability and open systems – Advocating for open APIs to prevent vendor lock-in and unlock innovation.
- AI and automation for efficiency – Supporting school leaders in making informed technology decisions.
Related resources:
Education 2030 – tech foundations (higher education)
Universities face legacy IT challenges, cybersecurity risks, and fragmented data ecosystems. This stream works to modernise higher education institutions by improving system interoperability, security, and digital capabilities.
Key areas of focus:
- Aligning national bodies to create unified technology frameworks – Bringing together policymakers, institutions, and industry to create coherent, forward-thinking digital strategies.
- Breaking down silos through the "Outside-In" Series – Ensuring higher education leaders have continuous touchpoints with external industries, learning from sectors such as finance, healthcare, and smart infrastructure.
- Overcoming legacy challenges – Addressing outdated student record systems, integration challenges, and procurement inefficiencies through shared best practices.
- Building cyber-resilience – Ensuring universities have access to the tools, guidance, and expertise needed to protect student data, research, and institutional operations.
Related resources:
EdTech 2030 – emerging modalities
The future of education is not just about infrastructure it’s about how learning itself is evolving. AI, AR/VR, and personalised learning experiences are creating new opportunities for education at all levels. This stream explores how emerging technologies can reshape pedagogy, lifelong learning, and skills development.
Key areas of focus:
- Scaling AI-driven personalised learning – Exploring how AI can enhance adaptive learning, assessment, and career navigation, creating more responsive, individualised education pathways.
- Advancing immersive and gamified learning – Building on insights from the UK’s gaming, AI, and pedagogy sectors to create high-impact, research-backed learning experiences.
- Eliminating silos through the "One EdTech" campaign – Unifying the UK’s fragmented EdTech ecosystem, ensuring stronger links between schools, universities, training providers, and industry.
- Supporting EdTech growth in domestic and international markets – Ensuring the UK’s EdTech sector has the investment, policy support, and market access needed to scale.
Related resources:
Member contributions
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Education and EdTech groups
Education and EdTech Council
The Education and EdTech Council will play a crucial role in setting the strategic direction for techUK’s work in education and EdTech, ensuring long-term success and impact across the sector.
Education updates
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Education and EdTech team
Austin Earl
Austin Earl
Austin leads techUK’s Education and EdTech programme, shaping strategies that support the digital transformation of schools, colleges, and universities. His work focuses on strengthening the UK’s education technology ecosystem, enhancing core technology foundations, and advancing the adoption of emerging technologies to improve educational outcomes.
Austin also chairs the EdTech Advisory Panel for AI in Education, contributing to national discussions on the future of EdTech, AI, and the UK's Education system.
- Email:
- [email protected]
- Phone:
- 07891 743 932
- Website:
- www.techuk.org
- LinkedIn:
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/austin-spencer-earl/
Tracy Modha
Tracy Modha
Tracy supports the marketing of several areas at techUK, including Cyber Exchange, Central Government, Cyber Resilience, Defence, Education, Health and Social Care, Justice and Emergency Services, Local Public Services, Nations and Regions and National Security.
Tracy joined techUK in March 2022, having worked in the education sector for 19 years, covering administration, research project support, IT support and event/training support. My most outstanding achievement has been running three very successful international conferences and over 300 training courses booked all over the globe!
Tracy has a great interest in tech. Gaming and computing have been a big part of her life, and now electric cars are an exciting look at the future. She has warmed to Alexa, even though it can sometimes be sassy!
- Email:
- [email protected]
- Phone:
- 02073312000
- Website:
- www.techuk.org
- LinkedIn:
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracymodha83
Nimmi Patel
Nimmi Patel
Nimmi Patel is the Head of Skills, Talent and Diversity at techUK. She works on all things skills, education, and future of work policy, focusing on upskilling and retraining. Nimmi is also an Advisory Board member of Digital Futures at Work Research Centre (digit). The Centre research aims to increase understanding of how digital technologies are changing work and the implications for employers, workers, job seekers and governments.
Prior to joining the techUK team, she worked for the UK Labour Party and New Zealand Labour Party, and holds an MA in Strategic Communications at King’s College London and BA in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from the University of Manchester. She is currently taking part in the 2024-25 University of Bath Institute for Policy Research Policy Fellowship Programme.
- Email:
- [email protected]
- Phone:
- 07805744520
- Twitter:
- @nimmiptl
- Website:
- www.techuk.org
- LinkedIn:
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/nimmi-patel1/