5G & Digital Infrastructure Conference

All-Party Parliamentary Group for Broadband and Digital Communication – Sally Ann Hart MP, Vice Chair

The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Broadband and Digital Communication seeks to further the rollout of broadband in rural and urban areas, and to look at digital communication’s relationship with economic growth across the UK. Sally Ann Hart MP for Hasting and Rye is the Vice Chair of the APPG and at the forefront of the better broadband enquiry which is an investigation into helping the UK’s broadband builders meet the target of 85 gigabit capable capacity by 2025.

Hartree National Centre for Digital Innovation – Peter Waggett, IBM Director

The UK Government has teamed up with IBM to launch a new £210m centre in the North West of England. Based in the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s, Daresbury Laboratory in Liverpool, The Hartree National Centre for Digital Innovation aims to transform UK industry through quantum computing, data analytics and AI technologies.  Enabling UK businesses and the public sector to explore and adopt innovative new digital technologies for productivity, innovation, and economic growth.

Tech London Advocates – Caroline Puygrenier, Chair of 5G Working Group

Tech London Advocates (TLA) boast a network of more than 9,000 tech leaders, entrepreneurs and experts from across the UK. The 5G Working Group is a community of ecosystem stakeholders that operate independent of government and are led by the private sector to aid in delivering the potential of full 5G roll-out to consumers, businesses and wider society.

The TLA 5G Working Group is hosted by EMEA data centre experts, Interxion, where Caroline also works as Director of Strategy and Business Development Connectivity.

North Tyneside Council – Paul Armstrong, Head of Digital Innovation

The North of Tyne Combined Authority have recently announced a £12m package to boost the local digital sector. The investment includes £7m for a 5G and Future Connectivity fund, used to create jobs in a ‘digital ecosystem’ of tech businesses and organisations. A further £5m will be used to provide support for start-ups and unlock the potential of digital and tech companies. It is expected that the funding will create 600 jobs and safeguard a further 140, as well as unlocking support for over 500 businesses.

Metis Digital – Miranda Sharp, Chief Executive Officer

Miranda Sharp is the Chief Executive Officer at Metis Digital where she advises on digital infrastructure; At Metis Digital they connect people and data with opportunities to create value.

She also sits on the advisory panel for the Mayor of London, The Technology advisory panel for the Information Commissioner’s office, she is an advisor for See Sense and a member of the Smart London Board for the GLA and was formerly at the Centre for Digital Britain

NYnet – Alastair Taylor, Deputy Chief Executive

Aiming to improve connectivity and broadband services across the region, NYnet Limited was established by North Yorkshire County Council in 2007 to support both the public and private sectors. NYnet built and now operates a high-capacity fibre network across the county, delivering WAN connectivity and broadband services to over 900 public and private sector sites. Working in partnership with other local stakeholders, NYnet have already brought high-quality broadband to almost 200,000 domestic and business premises as a part of the Superfast North Yorkshire project.

Innovate UK – Esra Kasapoglu, Executive Director of AI and Data Economy

Innovate UK helps to drive productivity and economic growth by supporting businesses to develop and realise the potential of new ideas. Esra has great experience as an industrial leader, with a focus on business transformation and innovation. She has expertise in the application of emerging technologies and hands on experience of digital transformation.

The Scotland 5G Centre – Paul Coffey, Chief Executive Officer

The Scotland 5G Centre is the national centre for 5G, accelerating demand, deployment and adoption of 5G in Scotland. The centre received initial investment from the Scottish Government and is an innovative partnership between the Scottish Futures Trust, University of Glasgow and the University of Strathclyde. The centre has been working to increase connectivity across the nation with its’ innovation districts and 5G Scotland Rural Testbed projects.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport – Jessica Ellis, Head of Programme Development for the 5G Testbeds & Trials Programme

Jessica Ellis is Head of Programme Development on the DCMS 5G Testbeds and Trials Programme. The £200m Programme has been central to the funding and development of a wide range of 5G testbeds across the UK, facilitating 5G and Connected Community trials across multiple sectors and places.

Prior to DCMS Jessica worked at Bristol Is Open, one of the UK’s leading testbeds at the time, working with public and private sector partners to facilitate trials on the test network in the city region.

Her role in DCMS is to drive successful programmes of work and collaboration across the 5G Testbed and Trials projects to align with Digital Infrastructure Directorate objectives. Jessica brings extensive experience and passion, working across public and private sectors on advanced network and digital technologies which will, when brought together, change the ways citizens interact with the places they live and work.

Digital Catapult – Paul Ceely, Director of Technology Strategy

Digital Catapult drives the early adoption of advanced, innovative technologies to make the nation’s businesses more productive and to grow the country’s economy. Since its launch in 2013, companies that have worked with Digital Catapult have attracted over £4bn in investment funding. They have also recently launched a new £20m UK-wide initiative to tackle the challenges faced by the UK’s manufacturing supply chains in the wake of the pandemic.

Cluttons – John Gravett, Head of Real Estate Management

John heads up the real estate management team at Cluttons and has extensive experience in the development and implementation of real estate solutions at both local and international level. He specialises in providing strategic advice to infrastructure portfolios and specialised advice in telecommunications strategy, network roll-out and estate management.