Event round-up: Exploring the role of the technology industry in ‘place’
Broadly speaking, ‘place-based approaches’ are those that work across or within geographies to tackle real problems faced by real people. Examples include smart street furniture that better connect pedestrians with their surroundings and the recent introduction of Integrated Care Systems that improve care outcomes by considering all core citizen services within a locality.
With the importance of ‘place’ only heightened since the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, as evidenced by the drastic rise of video conferencing software and equally precipitous decline of the British high street, interest in national place-based policies is clearly growing. The concept is even a key component of the Government’s Levelling Up white paper.
However, the technology industry’s role in ‘place’ as a whole – often in the form of support, supply and innovation – remains opaque and less understood.
Below is a summary of the key take-aways from the session, along with links to the event recording, presentations, and speaker organisations.
A quick recap
Our Chair was Shelley Heckman, Deputy Director of iNetwork. After introducing the session, Shelley gave a brief overview of iNetwork, explaining that as a public sector partnership, the organisation is led by its 120 public sector members and is dedicated to promoting excellence and innovation in public service delivery. It does this through its four overarching programmes which cover effective information sharing and security, transforming and innovating public services, connected procurement and commissioning, and iStandUK.
The first to speak was Dr Regine Sønderland Saga, a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Institute of Place Management. Dr Regine presented on the High Streets Task Force for England, an alliance of place-making experts commissioned in 2019 to support communities and local government to transform their high streets. This aims to boost Local Authority capacity, build sustainable place-making skills, co-ordinate a national approach and share data and information. You can access Dr Regine’s presentation here.
Next up was Wajid Shafiq, CEO of techUK member Xantura Limited. After introducing Xantura as a company helping the public sector to improve outcomes for vulnerable people, Wajid gave an overview of population health management within the context of place and used the example of their unplanned admission/ falls prevention project. You can view Wajid’s slides here.
Our final speaker was Chris Woodhouse, Bury Council’s Strategic Partnerships Manager. Chris presented the Radcliffe People and Communities Plan, talking attendees through its approach, the People and Communities Plan Framework, and the Radcliffe Strategic Regeneration Framework (part of its wider Let’s Do It strategy). You can access Chris' webinar slides here and read the full Radcliffe People and Communities Plan here.
You can view the event recording by clicking here and read more about the intersection between technology and place-based approaches by visiting our Digital Place Week 2022 page.
Please contact [email protected] if you would like to get involved with techUK’s work on place.
Georgina Maratheftis
Georgina Maratheftis
Georgina is techUK’s Associate Director for Local Public Services
Georgina works with suppliers that are active or looking to break into the market as well as with local public services to create the conditions for meaningful transformation. techUK regularly bring together local public services and supplier community to horizon scan and explore how the technologies of today and tomorrow can help solve some of the most pressing problems our communities face and improve outcomes for our people and places.
Prior to techUK, Georgina worked for a public policy events company where she managed the policy briefing division and was responsible for generating new ideas for events that would add value to the public sector. Georgina worked across a number of portfolios from education, criminal justice, and health but had a particular interest in public sector transformation and technology. Georgina also led on developing relationships across central and local government.
If you’d like to learn more about techUK, or want to get involved, get in touch.
- Email:
- [email protected]
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- 020 7331 2029
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- @GeorginaMarath
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Ileana Lupsa
Ileana Lupsa
Ileana Lupsa is the Programme Manager for Local Public Services and Nations and Regions, at techUK.
Ileana studied electronics, telecommunications and IT as an undergraduate, followed by an MSc in engineering and project management at Coventry University.
She refined her programme management expertise through her most recent roles working in the automotive industry.
Ileana is passionate about sustainability and creating a positive impact globally through innovation.
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- [email protected]
- Twitter:
- @IleanaLupsa
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- www.techUK.org
- LinkedIn:
- www.linkedin.com/in/ileana-lupsa
Francesca Richiusa
Francesca Richiusa
Fran serves as the Programme Team Assistant within techUK’s Public Sector Market Programmes, where she is responsible for delivering comprehensive team support, managing administrative functions, and fostering strong relationships with members.
Prior to joining techUK in May 2025, Fran built a meaningful career in the charitable and local government sectors. She worked extensively with both victims and perpetrators of crime, and notably led the coordination of Domestic Homicide Reviews across Surrey—an initiative aimed at identifying lessons and preventing future incidents of domestic abuse.
Outside of work, Fran is an avid traveller and a proud cat mum who enjoys unwinding with her feline companions.
- Email:
- [email protected]
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- www.techuk.org/
- LinkedIn:
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/francesca-richiusa/
The techUK podcast: Innovation in place-based care
In this episode we explore the concept of ‘place’ in care, the principles behind it, the impact of Covid-19 on care delivery, prospects for innovation following the introduction of Integrated Care Systems, examples of industry best practice, and where listeners can go to learn more about ‘place’ and innovation in care.
We were joined by Helena Zaum (Social Care Lead at Microsoft and Chair of techUK’s Social Care Working Group), Scott Cain (Associate at the Connected Places Catapult) and Hannah Groombridge (Healthcare Engagement Manager at Person Centred Software).
This discussion forms part of techUK’s Digital Place Week 2022 activity and features on our recently-launched Social Care Innovation Hub.
Read techUK's latest flagship report, released on Thursday's 'Health and Wellbeing' day:
Right from the start: What should Integrated Care Systems prioritise to make digital, data and technology work for them and their populations?