Virtual Conference: Creating Value for Economies – Collaborate, Innovate, Educate

The Tommy Flowers Network brings together the ICT industry and Academia with the new generation of universities’ postgraduate researchers to understand the biggest challenges we’re facing. We’re living connected, digital lives in a world that’s been radically changed by our use of technology and now through the pandemic as well.

Many of the devices, applications and services we rely on today, and the technologies that underpin them, were inconceivable to previous generations. What happens next will be driven by the next generation of researchers coming out of universities. We need this new generation of research leaders to understand the ICT industry they will be inheriting – because they will be shaping our world from now on, and we want to support them to get it right!

Spring 2021 – Virtual Conference
Creating Value for Economies: Collaborate –  Innovate – Educate

Date and times:

The CONFERENCE

Now more than ever this conference is well positioned to challenge the old and embrace the new. We will explore how this changed world can create opportunities for new ways of collaboration.

Leaders from industry, academia and governance bodies will provide collaboration and innovation stories to inspire the future. 

11:15 AM Carol Fletcher, BT’s Head of Academic and Research Partnerships, will be opening the conference.

11:20 AM – Talk: Please join us for a talk by Andrew Bourne, EPSRC – UKRI, Director Partnerships, for his view on the impact of collaboration on the UK economy.

10:35 AM – Talk: Joseph Spear of MVINE, will provide his industry view on the impact of collaboration for his company and the economy in general.

10:50 AM – Talk: Idris Eckley, Lancaster University, will give insights into his experience of collaboration with industry and the impact on innovation and the economy.

11:00 AM – Talk: Please join John Drake in his talk of “I was a PGR once”, a career that lives and breathes collaboration.

11:10 AM – Keynote: Please join Russell Beck Director of ImagineThinkDo. He’ll give an inspiring view on this new world of work, and asking the question: “Is Meaning the new Money?”

11:40 AM – Panel: Amanda Chmura form EPSRC, Joseph Spear, Idris Eckly, John Drake and Russell Beck will come together for a panel discussion and answering your questions.

We’ll showcase collaboration successes, with industry and academia driving latest innovations together. 

13:00 AM Carol Fletcher, BT’s Head of Academic and Research Partnerships, will be opening the day and will be joined by Simon Parry, BT University Programmes.

13:05 PM – Panel: Please join BT’s Dr Gilbert Owusu, Service & Operational Transformation. He will lead a case study panel discussion with expert collaboration leaders from Essex University, University of Loughborough, Robert Gordon University and Michigan State University. This sees Gilbert’s former postgraduate research collaborators joining the team once again, showing the impact of collaboration on young careers.

13:45 PM – Keynote: Ken Shaw from Benchmark Communication Techniques will add his view on this new world we live in, the skills needed and the questions that need to be asked.

We’ll dive deeper into collaboration stories and we explore the impact of a Digital Future on collaboration and innovation across sectors.

11:15 AM Carol Fletcher, BT’s Head of Academic and Research Partnerships, will be opening the day.

10:20 AM – Talk: A collaboration deep dive from a different sector by Malcolm Skingle, GlaxoSmithKline.

10:35 AM – Talks: Another deep dive: Prosperity, NG-CDI (Next Generation Converged Digital Infrastructure)  ‘This “NG-CDI” Prosperity Partnership brings together our key university partners to address the long term challenges critical to the UK’s digital infrastructure’ – Prof Tim Whitley, BT MD Applied Research

11:05 AM – Talk: Lisa Perkins, BT Adastral Park & Research Realisation Director is talking on “Mind the Gap: How collaboration can help to address the skills gap”.

11:35 AM – Keynote: Please join Susan Halford, Professor of Sociology, University of Bristol, UK for the closing keynote.