Abby’s Takeaways from London Tech Week

Last month, I had the pleasure of attending London Tech Week.

I really felt it should have been called UK Tech Week to represent the huge amount of talented Tech organisations flourishing across the country.

With over 6000 in attendance, it was great to be in a room with so many like-minded tech enthusiasts.

Here are some of the highlights that caught my attention:

• Rishi Sunak pledged to offer European nationals from the top 20 universities the opportunity to work in the UK without restrictions for a period of 2 years, a small step toward relieving the talent crisis.

• There has been £12 billion of VC funding in the UK so far this year, a staggering number. My prediction is that the second half of the year will not be as generous.

• There was talk about the revival of the electronic ID in the UK. It is felt that this will help people to be verified quickly and accurately.

• A huge amount of talk about the lack of talent vs the number of vacancies open. It was openly discussed that employers should focus on soft skills and work on filling the gaps, particularly when it comes to those entering the workplace.

• For organisations wishing to trade in Europe, it is easy to become an e-resident of the eurozone country, Estonia.

• It was incredible to hear from many acclaimed female leaders who discussed the hurdles they have faced and how they overcame them. We heard that this is a chance to change the future for young women but, to have success, we must all play our part.

• Our school systems have not yet caught up with the talent we need for the future. There was much debate about how we might connect to give young people a chance.

• Deeper and more immersive experiences are on the way. How we connect and conduct ourselves will change dramatically. Taking time to understand the metaverse and how we can engage with it in business and life will be of benefit.

There were so many takeaways from the event – I would highly recommend it.

My top tips:

• Wear comfy shoes 👟
• Bring a notebook 📓
• Be prepared to have your mind stretched 💡