02 Mar 2023

techUK in the Metaverse |The Future of workplace collaboration?

techUK is in the metaverse! As part of techUK's Making the Metaverse campaign, techUK's Laura Foster, Head of tech and Innovation was delighted to join Neesa Mangalaparathy, Programme Delivery Lead for XR and ADC, NHS England, and Chris Yiu, Director of Public Policy for Northern Europe, Meta to test out the technology that has the potential to revolutionise the workforce.

The development of the metaverse for the workforce of the future is set against the backdrop of a increasingly complex workforce with changing needs. Trends towards more flexible working models and remote work were accelerated by the pandemic, revealing benefits for productivity and wider inclusion in the UK labour force.

So too are the solutions available for businesses to interact, evolve and problem solve, from teaching surgery in VR, creating virtual offices, to digital twins for product design. Tech businesses are looking for ways to make work experiences more interactive, efficient, and inclusive.

However, whilst the metaverse is often viewed as new and exciting, the technologies that people may associate with the metaverse, and indeed the technologies that will underpin the metaverse, have been used in the workforce for a long time. As such, this recording explored how the technologies of today - the precursers to an interoperable and immersive metaverse - are being used today. The panel questioned whether it was appropriate to brand this iteration of workforce technologies of the metaverse, before exploring broader questions around accesibility, inclusion and pricing.

You can watch the recording here

Laura Foster

Head of Technology and Innovation, techUK

Laura is techUK’s Head of Programme for Technology and Innovation.

She supports the application and expansion of emerging technologies, including Quantum Computing, High-Performance Computing, AR/VR/XR and Edge technologies, across the UK. As part of this, she works alongside techUK members and UK Government to champion long-term and sustainable innovation policy that will ensure the UK is a pioneer in science and technology

Before joining techUK, Laura worked internationally as a conference researcher and producer covering enterprise adoption of emerging technologies. This included being part of the strategic team at London Tech Week.

Laura has a degree in History (BA Hons) from Durham University, focussing on regional social history. Outside of work she loves reading, travelling and supporting rugby team St. Helens, where she is from.

Email:: [email protected]
LinkedIn:: www.linkedin.com/in/lauraalicefoster

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Chris Hazell

Programme Manager - Cloud, Tech and Innovation, techUK

Chris is the Programme Manager for Cloud, Tech and Innovation

Sue Daley

Director, Technology and Innovation

Sue leads techUK's Technology and Innovation work.

This includes work programmes on cloud, data protection, data analytics, AI, digital ethics, Digital Identity and Internet of Things as well as emerging and transformative technologies and innovation policy. She has been recognised as one of the most influential people in UK tech by Computer Weekly's UKtech50 Longlist and in 2021 was inducted into the Computer Weekly Most Influential Women in UK Tech Hall of Fame. A key influencer in driving forward the data agenda in the UK Sue is co-chair of the UK government's National Data Strategy Forum. As well as being recognised in the UK's Big Data 100 and the Global Top 100 Data Visionaries for 2020 Sue has also been shortlisted for the Milton Keynes Women Leaders Awards and was a judge for the Loebner Prize in AI. In addition to being a regular industry speaker on issues including AI ethics, data protection and cyber security, Sue was recently a judge for the UK Tech 50 and is a regular judge of the annual UK Cloud Awards.

Prior to joining techUK in January 2015 Sue was responsible for Symantec's Government Relations in the UK and Ireland. She has spoken at events including the UK-China Internet Forum in Beijing, UN IGF and European RSA on issues ranging from data usage and privacy, cloud computing and online child safety. Before joining Symantec, Sue was senior policy advisor at the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). Sue has an BA degree on History and American Studies from Leeds University and a Masters Degree on International Relations and Diplomacy from the University of Birmingham. Sue is a keen sportswoman and in 2016 achieved a lifelong ambition to swim the English Channel.