The Bristol Technology Showcase (BTS) is an annual event focused on emerging technologies and the themes encompassed in the 4th Industrial Revolution. Aimed at business leaders, investors and influencers, it brings together first-class speakers who cover the impact and implications of new technologies on business, their people, their investment strategies and wider society.
Image - Bristol Technology Showcase
A hotspot for tech and innovation
With Bristol now known as one of the UK’s leading tech hotspots thanks to its ever-growing tech sector and wealth of talent in the field, the Bristol Technology Showcase has been a welcome addition to the city’s events calendar.
Bristol was named the UK’s most productive tech cluster (Tech Nation report 2018) and is famed for its ideas and innovation, fed by two excellent universities. The University of Bristol - one of the top 50 universities in the world - runs special Innovation Programmes allowing students to become tomorrow’s changemakers by pursuing their academic specialism and applying it in a multi-disciplinary, real-life context. Meanwhile, the University of the West of England’s (UWE) aerospace and engineering courses are linked with leading local employers such as Airbus, Rolls-Royce and the Ministry of Defence.
Objectives of the Bristol Technology Showcase
Bristol and the South West has an abundance of technological and business capabilities, with many globally leading brands within their respective industries. The Bristol Technology Showcase aims to:
- Increase awareness among regional business leaders about the importance of the 4th Industrial Revolution and the opportunities and risks that it presents.
- Deliver increased understanding of emerging technologies and solution providers who can help enable businesses.
- Highlight the strengths of the region and demonstrate how Bristol and the South West is leading the way with a new digital economy within the 4th Industrial Revolution.
The event
Held at Aerospace Bristol - the city’s aerospace museum and home of Concorde - 2019’s event facilitated discussion and exhibition on some of the most innovative technology in the region and globally.
On the main stage, there were a series of key business debates including themes such as the Future of Work, AI and ethics and how technology is helping with sustainability and circular economy models. In a second theatre called the Futures Room, delegates were informed on the future capabilities of robotics, quantum computing, autonomous vehicles, vertical farming and many more. In the exhibition space, there was the opportunity to experience many of these technologies first-hand and consider how they could be used in their business.
Image - Bristol Technology Showcase
The event was opened with a keynote speech from Simon Beswick, the international CEO of Bristol-based law firm Osborne Clarke. Then to close the day, Gerd Leonhard, CEO of the Futures Agency delivered his keynote speech called “Technology vs Humanity: the next 10 years”.
Speaking about the event, BTS Founder Nick Rutherford said, “We’re delighted to have brought a new discussion to Bristol, located at the home of Concorde. The speed of technological change is so quick today and it’s only going to get faster – exponential change is upon us. It was wonderful to host an event with amazing technology companies, speakers and wider businesses that allowed delegates to experience some of these technologies for themselves.”
Results
The day saw an excellent attendance rate. Over 67% of delegates were from an executive management position and there was a 240% increase in attendees from the 2018 event. In addition, there were over 160 different business in attendance on the day and plenty of healthy engagement post event with delegates, sponsors, speakers and exhibitors.
There was a positive feedback from delegates such as Paul Fitzgerald, who said, “It was fascinating to be part of the conversation around the leading edge of technology, and how technology is being harnessed to resolve contemporary business and societal problems. This has influenced how I might approach my own clients as we navigate with them through their business problems.”
The Bristol Technology Showcase will return in 2020, with plans for a more impactful event that further illustrates the great capabilities within the region. The organisers are looking forward to making more new technologies tangible and demonstrating to businesses how they can be used to contribute to the region’s growth and success.
Look out for more details on the Bristol Technology Showcase website or on LinkedIn and Twitter. BTS is also a founding partner of the 2019 Bristol Technology Festival, an umbrella brand of technology events that were co-located over the same week.
Related
Comments
Comments are disabled for this post.
