In 1950, the population living in UK cities was 79% – already a large figure – but one which is set to rise to 92.2% by 2030. The challenge to create urban areas where people, society and business can thrive in the next ten years has never been more urgent. But Digital thinking and technology will offer us the solutions we need.

Digital transformation of these urban communities is necessary and is already underway from Belfast to Cardiff, London to Edinburgh. Whether innovation is transpiring in business space, infrastructure, public services, transport, connectivity, education or civil society, change is happening.

“Join us, 10 UK urban areas and those leading digital innovations to hear how digital democracy, IoT, infrastructure, 5G, security, skills, geospatial data and AI and emerging technologies like blockchain are helping them innovate in our cities and urban communities to make them Smart Places”

— Robin Knowles, Founder & CEO, Digital Leaders

Overview of the Day

The National Digital Conference 2019 will bring together those members of the Digital Leaders community leading the way in creating the UK’s smartest places. There will be keynotes from Ministers, startups and big business and an active exhibition, a chance to interact with exciting innovations and inspirational programmes on our main stage and lots of networking with delegates from across all sectors, all hosted in central London at the Congress Centre.

Mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg when talking about improving the city said, “In god we trust, everyone else bring data”.

Conference Themes

The National Digital Conference: Smart Places, will hear from those leading the transformation of our urban areas using Data, IOT, Infrastructure, 5G, Security, skills, geospatial data and AI to innovate in our Cities and urban communities to make them Smart Places across the UK. The day splits into three sessions:

Smart Living will cover how our cities and urban areas need to rethink the role of public services, blue light services, infrastructure and using data to make smart decisions.

Smart Work will consider what infrastructure, workspace, connectivity, transport and access to skills are needed to drive digital city economies

Smart Play will examine how our communities can live together, play and enjoy the city whiele minimising their impact on the planet and developing enjoyable digital places.

Audience

We are expecting our 250+ audience to be made up of central and local government, health and blue light service delegates, private sector suppliers and businesses as well as civil society and academics specialising in this complex topic.

As always we will be ensuring a 50% gender balance from the platform.

The 14th Annual National Digital Conference (ND19) is the centrepiece of 5 days of discussion and debate across the UK on all aspects of Digital Transformation as part of Digital Leaders Week 2019. In attendance in 2018 were 13,500 digital leaders, politicians, policy makers, innovators and inspirational speakers who identified, debated and brainstormed the key actions needed by leaders from all sectors to Digitally Transform the UK into a global leader.

The conference provides a great day of disruptive ideas, best practice, exciting speakers and a genuinely cross-sector view of digital life in the UK, by drawing upon a broad range of inputs from thoughts leaders including Ministers, Digital Leaders Advisory Board Members and Digital Leaders from Enterprise, SMEs, Public and the Non-profit sectors as well as Academia.