South West tech leaders gather in Bristol to discuss sector's future

Scores of participants were at this year's Tech Leaders’ Summit in Bristol in the wake of the General Election to outline a roadmap for the sector in the south west region.

Held in Clifton, the summit on July 9, was organised by regional cluster Tech South West and built on work on the Look South West prospectus - the first such document for the South West of England tech sector.

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According to the prospectus, net zero technology including marine, agritech, biotech, clean energy and environmental science in the region generates £24.1bn turnover, while South West startups are 17% more likely to be operating after five years than those based in London.

The event featured discussion groups and workshops and delegates formed action plans, focusing on things like investment, net zero, and a response to the new Government, ahead of a live vote to understand priorities.

"The South West tech sector is a powerful force for positive change, and that’s down to the innovators, entrepreneurs, investors and inspiring leaders we have," said Dan Pritchard, founder of Tech South West.

"But there are some major challenges; unlocking capital, developing a dynamic and diverse talent pool, and pushing on with innovation in areas from cyber and AI, to climate tech and healthtech," he added.

"The summit was an opportunity to bring together key people, and focus on developing actions to address some of our key challenges and opportunities, as we continue to develop a unified voice and strive to help the tech sector reach its full potential."

The Look South West prospectus shows the extent of the region’s investment potential and the strength of its green and blue economy.

It also lays out recommendations to policy makers including pension reform to boost investment and increasing British Business Bank funding in the region by 20%.

The summit was supported by Innovate UK Business Growth, Acuity Associates, ISL Talent and Future Space Bristol, and will feed into a new action plan for the sector.

The new South West of England Tech Advisory Board will now be continuing the work, and developing the plan.

Tara Gilliam, regional manager for the South West at Innovate UK Business Growth, described the summit as "a great opportunity to dig deeper into the challenges and experiences of innovators in our region".