01 Aug 2022

Call for blogs | Building the Smarter State Week 2022 #techUKSmarterState

Through blogs and case studies we're calling for members to explore how we can secure and sustain a smarter state in the run up to our flagship Building the Smarter State Conference. #techUKSmarterState

Please note that due to the passing of Her Majesty the Queen Building the Smarter State Week has been postponed and will now take place on Monday 26 September to Friday 30 September.

On 26 – 30 September we will be running our Building the Smarter State Week in the run up to the eighth edition of our flagship public services conference, Building the Smarter State, which will take place at The Royal Society on Thursday 29 September.

For the last seven years the conference has successfully attracted digital leaders from across the breadth of public and the private sectors to showcase how technology is shaping todays and tomorrow’s public services – helping to build a smarter state. Having reached a critical juncture of digital transformation, this year’s conference will move from the ‘why’ to ’how’, hearing from senior digital leaders how we secure and sustain the smarter state and the role digital technologies and public services play in unlocking the next wave of transformation in delivering resilient public services. 

A different theme has been assigned to each day of the week, and through blogs and case studies we want members to explore how we can secure a smarter state and the role of digital, how we can better utilise data and emerging technologies to meet societal challenges of net-zero and upskill the workforce to sustain and deliver digital services, how we can deliver more efficient and citizen-centric services and the challenges and potential solutions for sustaining a smarter state. The week will also look at how the Digital and Data Playbook, the pledges made at COP 26, and the launch of the National Cyber Strategy provide an opportunity to ensure a better digital government that can deliver value for money efficiently and build and sustain a smarter state.

If you would like to contribute, we would require a blog piece of around 400-600 words, a blog title, and a 150-character description for the sub-title. You can read our contributor guidelines in more detail here. The blogs will feature on the techUK website and will be promoted via Twitter and LinkedIn throughout the week.

Please send your blog through to [email protected] no later than Friday 23 September.

The themes for the week are as follows:

  • Securing the Smarter State: Visions for the Smarter State and the role digital technologies, cyber security, and services play in unlocking the next wave of transformation in delivering resilient public services.
  • Sustaining the Smarter State: How can public services better utilise data and emerging technologies to meet societal challenges of net-zero and upskill the workforce to sustain and deliver digital services.  
  • Creating services fit for citizens: Exploring how we can deliver smarter, more efficient, and citizen-centric services.
  • Digital Leadership: The challenges and potential solutions and key asks to public sector leaders and government to grasp the opportunity for what comes next in the smarter state.
  • The opportunity: The recent launch of the Digital and Data Playbook, the pledges made at COP 26 and the launch of the National Cyber Security create the perfect opportunity to explore how we can ensure a better digital government that can deliver value for money efficiently and build and sustain the smarter state.
Ellie Huckle

Ellie Huckle

Programme Manager, Central Government, techUK

Heather Cover-Kus

Heather Cover-Kus

Head of Central Government Programme, techUK

Georgina Maratheftis

Georgina Maratheftis

Associate Director, Local Public Services, techUK

Jill Broom

Jill Broom

Programme Manager, Cyber Security, techUK