Building on the success of its first three years, it returns to celebrate the achievements from across the Scottish clusters and the tech community in 2022, and to focus on the opportunities coming in 2023.
The aim of the conference is to highlight areas for collaboration amongst Scotland’s tech clusters and bring insights from across the tech ecosystem. Let’s explore where we can work together to achieve new heights and help to grow the country’s tech economy.
With speaker sessions including Emerging Trends in Healthtech, Convergence of Technologies, 5G Technology Transforming Healthcare, Potential of Quantum Tech, Funding Access, and Global Opportunities for Scottish Tech Firms, we’ll be covering a wide range of topics suitable for all attendees, whatever field of technology you sit in.
Cluster Conference 2023 will take place on Tuesday 21st March, at the Grand Central Hotel in Glasgow. We look forward to you joining us for a day of networking, insights and celebration of Scotland’s technology clusters.
Janette Hughes, Director of Planning and Performance, Digital Health and Care Innovation Centre
Emerging Trends in Digital Health and Care, and Opportunities and Challenges in Digital Health
Kirsty Scott, S5GC Business Engagement Manager, The Scotland 5G Centre
5G Connectivity Transforming Healthcare
Coffee break
Calum McCallum, Sector Lead: Advanced Manufacturing, Aerospace, Automotive, Maritime, Space, Technology, Defence, Department for Business & Trade
Global Opportunities
Craig Sharp, UK National Contact Point for Digital, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)
Digital Opportunities in Horizon Europe
Lunch break
Lynsey Brydson, Head of Digital Planning, Built Environment : Smarter Transformation
Opportunities for Digitisation in Construction and the Built Environment
Joe Pacitti, Managing Director, Centre for Engineering, Education & Development (CeeD)
Communities of Practice: Clusters are Key
Panel Discussion, chaired by Alastair McInroy, CEO of Technology Scotland: Demystifying Quantum Technology
Keith O’Donnell, Managing Director, Feynic Technology
Dr Sonali Mohapatra, Quantum Innovation Sector Lead, National Quantum Computing Centre
Jeremy Ward, Professor of Industrial Practice – Physics, University of Strathclyde
Networking and drinks reception
Close
Speakers
Janette Hughes
Director of Planning and Performance, Digital Health and Care Innovation Centre
Janette Hughes is Director of Planning and Performance for the Digital Health and Care Innovation centre in Scotland, with nearly 20 years’ experience in working within this sector, and she set up the first Wellness and Health Innovation Centre for Scotland in 2009.
Janette has a first class honours degree in design, a post grad with distinction in technology and has recently finished an MPhil (which she undertook whilst working) on ‘How much evidence is needed to scale Digital Health’.
She has managed and directed a range of multi-million pound projects across the UK focussed on health and care and has also worked on the Smart Cities agenda. She sits on a range of advisory boards within the UK including the Scottish Technology enabled care steering group, the UK5G advisory board and chairs the rural centre for excellence.
She has led a range of trade missions across the world and has undertaken numerous keynotes on the subject of Innovation for the Health and care sector, remaining committed in moving this sector forward.
Kirsty Scott
S5GC Business Engagement Manager, Scotland 5G Centre
Kirsty leads the regional Tayside S5GC Innovation Hub to deliver a series of 5G use case trials in partnership with private and public sectors to support the 5G rollout by 2025.
Kirsty brings a specialist knowledge from 14 years within the computer games industry, with a background working in STEM skills sector as well as in-depth project management experience successfully delivering multiple Tay Cities Deal pipeline projects.
Keith O’Donnell
Managing Director, Feynic Technology
Keith O’Donnell helps founders and investors to commercialise emerging technologies, and loves to see the theoretical become tangible. He is best at developing realisable strategy that satisfies multiple stakeholders and seeing it through to execution. Keith is always on the look out for founders, investors or institutions that are looking to realise their visions of horizon technologies. Over his career, he has navigated multiple industries, designed & delivered organisational change within a Wall Street firm and established a new generation of entrepreneurs through mentorship and guidance.
When not developing innovation frameworks, you can find him tinkering with technology that sparks his interest.
Lynsey Brydson
Head of Digital Programmes at Built Environment – Smarter Transformation
Lynsey has worked in the built environment for over a decade and is a passionate advocate for positive change within the sector. Her background in working for main contractors means she has a deep understanding of the barriers faced by industry. She is also a board member at Loreburn Housing Association.
Craig Sharp
UK National Contact Point for Digital at UKRI
Originally from an engineering background, Craig has over 25 years in collaborative R&D (national and international), business support, engineering development, manufacturing and programme management.
As a National Contact Point (NCP), Craig provides support and advice to UK organisations looking to apply into the Horizon Europe programme (including the €900m Smart Networks and Services 5/6G calls). The NCP role is mandated by the European Commission (replicated across countries), and is a free impartial, confidential service, hosted within UK Research and Innovation.
Calum McCallum
Sector Lead – Advanced Manufacturing, Aerospace, Automotive, Maritime, Space, Technology, Defence, Department of Business & Trade
Calum is a creative all-rounder with extensive experience in South Asia and East Africa. Calum has worked with a range of blue chip companies in a range of sectors supporting them to communicate their message through to government to government lobbying and diplomacy. Calum possesses extensive experience in designing and producing largescale B2B events and bespoke campaigns. Skilled in policy development including at a diplomatic level, Calum understands the need for stakeholder engagement and international relations.
Jeremy Ward
Professor of Industrial Practice – Physics at University of Strathclyde
Experienced Business Manager and Chief Technology Officer skilled in Requirements Management, Avionics, Engineering Management, System Safety, and Technology Management. Strong information technology professional with a BSc, PhD focused in Bsc – Physics, PhD – Number Theory from University of Durham.
Dr Sonali Mohapatra
Quantum Innovation Sector Lead at National Quantum Computing Centre
I combine technical expertise in Quantum, AI, optics, healthcare, and Space systems and a passion towards innovative technologies of the future to drive business development and innovation across multiple verticals. At the NQCC, I work as an Innovation Sector Lead to drive forward strategic end-user and stakeholder engagement and identification of early quantum computing use cases to drive quantum readiness for the UK across sectors such as space, healthcare, financial services, transport, and energy.
Joe Pacitti
Managing Director of Centre for Engineering, Education & Development (CeeD)
Joe Pacitti has a BSc in Mechanical Engineering and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing. With over 35 years’ experience in both private and public sectors covering technical and commercial roles in industry, public sector economic development agencies and higher education institutes.
Joe has significant international experience covering engineering, technical sales & marketing and educational development and has held a number of NXD positions.
Currently Managing Director of CeeD – a peer to peer best practice sharing membership organisation of +400 companies and HE & FE institutions focussed in manufacturing engineering and technology.
Joe is passionate about supporting organisations and individuals through networks with a view to creating mechanisms for knowledge exchange, best practice sharing and business and personal growth.
Meet the Scottish Cluster Ecosystem Alliance
The Scottish Cluster Ecosystem Alliance (SCEA) was set up by ScotlandIS to bring together representatives from across the tech sector such as fintech, space, mobility, cyber, data and many more.
Its aim is to connect cluster managers or other key sector representatives from across the tech sector to promote collaboration and knowledge exchange between these sectors.
