Learnings from Leaders: Forging our Tech Future (14^th July at 18:30) is a free headline event in Wales Tech Week, and features members of the Welsh Technology Leadership Council, some of Wales’ most influential figures in technology, along with some of the country’s rising stars as they share learnings and explore new and exciting opportunities for collaboration in Wales and beyond.

Participants in the round table event include:

Gareth Williams, VP Secure Communications & Information Systems at Thales Group, who also sits on the Cyber Management Committee of Tech UK and is a member of the RISC Council;
Anne Boden MBE, a Welsh tech entrepreneur and founder and CEO of Starling Bank, a UK mobile-only bank. In 2018, Anne received an MBE for services to financial technology.
Chris Meadows, Director of CS Connected, representing the world’s first compound semiconductor cluster that is rapidly evolving across South Wales and the West of England. Chris was part of the founding team at Epitaxial Products International Ltd (EPI) in Cardiff in 1988 which became Cardiff headquartered IQE plc in 1999, listed on the London Stock Exchange’s AiM (IQE.L) and comprising multiple operations in the UK, Asia and the USA;
Avril Lewis MBE, Managing Director of Technology Connected, the organisation which unties, promotes and champions the Welsh technology industry, and the creators of Wales Tech Week. In 2018 Avril was awarded an MBE for her services to the technology industry;
Richard Pring, Director, Wales Interactive, a multi-award winning film and video games director, producer, designer and entrepreneur. He has been an entertainment industry professional over a decade beginning his career with the Animation and Television company Calon then later going on to co-founding his own successful studio, Wales Interactive in 2012.

Deputy Minister for Economy and Transport, Lee Waters, said: “This event will provide an important insight into the thinking of some of the most influential figures in the sector and the rising pool of talented individuals we have here in Wales.

“The first Wales Tech Week, which I will be officially opening on Monday, gives us a great opportunity to showcase Wales’ thriving tech ecosystem. It will also be key in highlighting just how vital technology is to our daily lives, as we have seen during the coronavirus pandemic.”

Technology is impacting, enabling and influencing every aspect of how we live and work, with our world moving faster and becoming more connected than ever before. In the face of global disruption, this session will look at how we can we join and leverage technology across markets and sectors to remain resilient post COVID-19 and build a technology-enabled, prosperous future for our economy.

The Welsh Government tradeandinvest.wales supported session is one of over 80 webinars, workshops and digital events in the first Wales Tech Week, a unique, interactive digital festival created by Technology Connected, the organisation that champions the Welsh technology industry and promotes its social and economic impact.

In its inaugural year, Wales Tech Week has been designed to showcase the breadth, strength and diversity of Wales’ thriving technology industry, shining a light on its people and businesses to a global audience.

Avril Lewis said: “Our world is rapidly changing, and now more than ever it’s clear just how important technology is in our daily lives, enabling and enhancing the way we live and work.

“With Wales Tech Week, our goal is to showcase the incredible talent and innovation that exists within our industry, giving a global platform to the organisations and people that make up our £8.5 billion a year technology sector. A sector that will be fundamental in accelerating the recovery of our national and global economies post Covid-19.“Learning from Leaders will give attendees the opportunity to learn from some of Wales’ most influential figures in technology, at the forefront of our industry, in a unique headline event.”

The festival will involve many of the country’s leading names, including Thales UK, Innovate UK, GoCompare, DVLA, NHS Wales, CSA Catapult, IQE PLC, We Build Bots, PwC Raise, Development Bank for Wales etc. The week will be opened by Lee Waters MS, Deputy Minister for Economy and Transport, and also covers sessions such as:

Blockchain Connected Launch
Tarian and North Wales Police: How the police prevent cybercrime
Aspire2B: A2B Virtual Conference 2020
Creative Cardiff: Immersive South Wales
MSparc – How to start a digital business
Compound Semiconductor Applications Catapult – Manufacturing in Space
A new future for Virtual Filmmaking: Plan V & His Dark Materials (armoured polar bears)
FinTech Wales – The right conditions in which to innovate

Wales’ tech sector is worth an estimated £8.5bn to the Welsh economy, it is one of the fastest growing digital economies outside London and continues to grow. We are recognised for our highly skilled workforce, world class universities and robust digital infrastructure, with the UK’s first 5G network launched in Cardiff.

Around 45,000 people are actively employed within the Digital Economy in Wales, and we are home to over 3,500 home-grown and multinational technology operations.