23 Aug 2021

techUK talks at London Tech Week 2021

Building on the success of last year, techUK’s Tech and Innovation programme are excited to return to London Tech Week with a new series of techUK Talks, a series of conversations with UK tech leaders exploring the key digital technologies that are transformational for the UK economy. #techUKtalks

techUK are proud to once again be a strategic partner of London Tech Week 20-24 September 2021

Join the conversation on twitter with #techUKtalks

20 September, 14:00- 15:00 Innovation and the recipe for tech success: Does the UK have the right ingredients?

The UK Government’s Innovation Strategy sets out a long-term vision and ambition to make the UK a global hub for innovation by 2035.  This follows the creation of the UK’s Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) with the ambition to position the UK as a tech and science superpower, the UK’s R&D Roadmap which aims to build the foundations for the “industries of tomorrow” as well as the recent establishment of a new National Science and Technology Council chaired by the Prime Minister.  As the UK looks to the future what is clear is that enabling and unlocking the power of technological innovation will be at the heart of what comes next.  While the identification and focus being given to strategically important emerging and transformative technologies will be welcomed by the digital industry, innovators and entrepreneurs across the UK, the question remains does the UK have what we need to be successful in the increasingly competitive, global race for tech innovation supremacy in emerging areas such as AI and Quantum.

This session will explore from UK tech leaders of today and tomorrow about how the UK can be successful in its innovation ambitions and whether we are building the right innovation ecosystem we need and taking the right strategic approach to identifying, then backing and supporting the innovations of the future.

21 September, 11:00-12:00 Digital Ethics: Are we on the right track?

The countdown to techUK’s fifth Digital Ethics Summit has begun! To kick off the discussion ahead of the annual event on 8 December, this techUK Talks session will bring together leaders in the UK’s digital ethics community to reflect on progress over the past five years, share best practice, and focus on ‘What we need to do now to get the next five years right?’

So far this year we have experienced significant developments across the tech policy landscape, from legislative proposals outlining potential future AI regulation in the EU, to the publication of the National Data Strategy and the anticipation of the National AI Strategy. In parallel, stakeholders from across industry, academia and civil society have been working hard to progress a wide range of initiatives ensuring ethical practices are at the heart of the latest technological developments.

During this session we will consider how much these activities are moving the dial and addressing current key ethical questions, concerns, and challenges. Ahead of the Summit, the panel will also identify some of the biggest ethical challenges that are on the horizon and assess the digital ethics communities’ preparedness to effectively resolve these issues and create safe and responsible technology that meet the needs of society.

21 September, 14:00- 15:00 Next generation of Cloud Computing: From pandemic recovery to driving future innovation

In this exclusive techUK session, a panel of cloud experts will explore how different cloud models and services can move businesses beyond the upheaval of the pandemic and towards scalable and innovative cloud solutions that can form the foundations for digital transformation. We will showcase examples from different industries where cloud has brought real-world advantages to the workforce during the pandemic, and envisioning what this means for the future of cloud deployment in the UK.

With COP26 later in the year, sustainability is at the forefront of innovation in the UK. As such, we will also showcase why the next generation of cloud computing needs to ensure sustainability is synonymous with innovation, and discuss why it is important that businesses build sustainability into their cloud deployments and how the cloud industry can help to get this right.

23 September 10:00-11:00 A new era of UK data governance: what are the opportunities and challenges ahead

Following the granting of data adequacy by the EU, the publication of the UK’s National Data Strategy and the upcoming appointment of a new Information Commissioner, ahead is a potential new, yet undefined, era for data governance in the UK. So what could this future hold and where are there opportunities for the UK to position itself as a global pioneer in achieving a data governance system underpinned by solid principles and able to flex and evolve to maintain trust as new technologies emerge.  Given the importance of the importance of data protection and privacy laws to building public trust and confidence as well as the ongoing global debates over data governance, what are the challenges ahead that industry, government and all of us need to consider as this new era evolves.

As the UK begins to consider what a post Brexit future of data governance could and should look like, this techUK Talks session at London Tech Week will hear from leading data experts on what they see as important to get right and what could be the pitfalls ahead where the UK cannot afford to get this wrong.

23 September 14:00-15:00 Quantum Readiness in the UK: In conversation with Michael Cuthbert, National Quantum Computing Center

In this session, Sue Daley, techUK’s Director of Tech & Innovation will be joined by Michael Cuthbert, Director of the UK’s National Quantum Computing Centre to the work of the NQCC, established with a £93 million investment by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) as part of the UK’s National Quantum Technologies Programme (NQTP), and explore what is next to push forward quantum readiness in the UK.

This session will also discuss how we can create a quantum ecosystem with the right skills, research and appetite for innovation that can develop world leading quantum products and services with UK R&D at the heart of innovation and enable the UK to remain internationally competitive.

23 September 16:00-17:00 AI Competitiveness in the UK

This event is an opportunity to take stock and assess progress made towards ensuring the UK remains a global leader in AI. So far this year we’ve seen the UK Government commit to publishing a National AI strategy and businesses have continued to invest into the UK, for example the recent launch of NVIDIA’s Cambridge-1 supercomputer. The pandemic has also undoubtedly accelerated many businesses’ digital transformation journeys and heightened people’s awareness around the importance of data. Focusing on the UK’s capacity to develop and deploy AI, the panel will assess where the gaps still remain and question how we get more organisations to "embrace" AI technology. Panellists will evaluate the UK’s approach against its international counterparts and determine what decisive actions need to happen now to ensure the UK continues to reap the benefits of AI in the next 5 years and beyond.

Sue Daley OBE

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.

In 2025, Sue was honoured with an Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to the Technology Industry in the New Year Honours List.

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 was co-chair of the UK government's National Data Strategy Forum until July 2024. 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.

Email:: [email protected]
Phone:: 020 7331 2055
Twitter:: @ChannelSwimSue,@ChannelSwimSue

Read lessmore

Laura Foster

Associate Director - Technology and Innovation, techUK

Laura is techUK’s Associate Director 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.