The sixth edition of the London Tech Week showcase has started today in the UK’s capital city of London. The London Tech Week, also known as LTW 2019, will host events, showcases and panel discussions on various facets of technology, including artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, cybersecurity, 5G, startups and more.
The British Prime Minister Theresa May will also host a roundtable which will include leading tech companies, such as Microsoft UK, Google and Monzo. The discussion is expected to focus on opportunities to enhance competitiveness in the tech space, boost the economy and tackle societal challenges as well. “Already we are one of the best places in the world to start and grow a tech business.
British Tech is growing over one and a half times faster than the rest of the economy, adding more than one hundred and thirty billion pounds to our economy every year,” Mrs May is expected to say.
The roundtable is will include Cindy Rose, CEO of Microsoft UK, Doug Gurr, vice-president of Amazon UK, Jean Pierre Brulard, senior-vice president of Vmware, Ronan Harris, vice-president and Md of Google UK, Tom Blomfield, CEO of Monzo, Dr. Ling Ge, Chief European Representative of Tencent, David Lloyd Managing Director for UK and Nordics of Alibaba Group and Demis Hassabis, Founder and CEO of Deepmind.
The Prime Minister is also expected to announce multiple ambitious projects during the London Tech Week. The first is the £153 million government funding, with an additional £205 million pledged by industry, for technologies including accelerated drug development from quantum computing. As many as 2,500 places will also be available for the first time for artificial intelligence (AI) and data conversion courses starting next year, to equip tech-driven businesses and people across the country with the necessary skills. This project will include 1,000 government-funded scholarships.
On the sidelines of the London Tech Week, as many as thirteen tech companies have confirmed investment in the UK. These include a £1 billion investment by VMware over the next five years, a £12 million investment by Mastek in a new digital skills programme for graduates in Leeds, a £150 million investment in a new data centre by Markley Group which will create 200 jobs and agri-tech company McConnel Ltd (Alamo Group) confirming the expansion of their production facility in Ludlow, to manufacture remote-controlled, robotic and autonomous vehicles.
New data by Dealroom and Tech Nation released today shows to date the UK has produced 72 tech companies worth $1 billion, substantially higher than any other country in Europe .
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