• Swindon & Wiltshire Tech
• Tuesday May 28 2024
• Author Name: Peter Davison

South West’s tech sector to be showcased on national stage

A national showcase of technological innovation from the South West of England is set to take place in London.

Altilium, Kelpi, Cleaner Seas Group, LettUs Grow, Oxi-Tech, Additive.earth and MolendoTech are amongst the innovative growth firms across the blue, green and cleantech space, taking centre stage at the event, which also sees the launch of the first South West of England Tech Prospectus ahead of the forthcoming General Election.

The first-of-its-kind showcase is delivered by Tech South West, the representative body for the South West tech sector, which was recently described by StartUp Coalition as a “UK Cleantech Unicorn”.

The project is run in partnership with Future Space, Microsoft, Neighbourly, and Barclays.

Founders and entrepreneurs will be joined by leaders of universities, science parks and innovation hubs, along with policymakers, investors and think tanks for the sold-out event.

Tech South West founder Dan Pritchard said: “The South West leads the UK with its cleantech, marine tech, agritech, climate and environmental tech, and the rest of the world is starting to take notice.

“Through scaling companies, major partnerships, cutting-edge research and development, we are tackling some of the planet’s biggest challenges.

“The showcase and prospectus sets out our credentials and is another step on the journey as the sector moves forward at pace.”

Microsoft is supporting the event as part of its work with Tech South West to drive positive impact in the region.

Sarah Fasey, social value lead at Microsoft, said: “New technologies, including generative AI, hold promise for new innovations that can help address the climate crisis.

“The focus on blue and green economies at the heart of the South West economic plan is something Microsoft naturally wants to support and encourage.”

The new South West prospectus ‘Look South West’, to be launched at the showcase event, will help promote the investment potential and significance of the region within a wider UK policy framework of green economic growth, future technology and skills.

Professor Matt Freeman, centre director at Future Space Bristol, has assisted with the development of the prospectus.

He said: “What the South West’s tech sector has achieved with comparatively little government investment is truly astounding. Having a prospectus that clearly shows the strength and power of what the region is capable of is important for so many reasons.”

The Tech South West Showcase takes place on Wednesday, June 12 at Howden UK, London.

Latest: South West tech sector worth £46 billion, report shows