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Climate and cybersecurity: Topical panel discussions announced for Digital City Expo

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Local bodies MIDAS and GMCA will host two urgent and up-to-the-minute conversations at next week’s Digital City Expo, featuring names from across politics and business.

On Day One of Digital City Expo, sitting at the heart of Digital City Festival week, MIDAS and GMCA will sponsor a session in the Keynote Theatre, and host ‘AI and Data: The driver of zero carbon?’ as its first panel, lasting from 10am to 11am. 

The morning panel will welcome E3G’s Joseph Dutton, GMCA’s Mark Atherton, TfGM’s Anna Craciun, Green Party NW Chair Gina Dowding, Qbots Energy’s Vijay Natarajan, Arup’s Dr Tim Whitley, and Ellen Wilson of Microsoft onto the stage, tackling the the environmental and economic impact and opportunities that can come from leveraging AI, data and other emerging technologies to achieve green objectives.

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The cybersecurity panel guests


Later in the day, they will also host a panel titled ‘Greater Manchester: Becoming a cyber super hub’, with opening remarks from Councillor Elise Wilson, Leader of Stockport Council and GMCA Digital Portfolio Lead; and Brian Higgins, Project Manager at GM Cyber Foundry. The second panel brings together Digital Interruption’s Saskia Coplans, Barclays Ventures’ Darren Earnshaw, and IBM’s Rob Sedman alongside Councillor Elise Wilson and Brian Higgins.

Tim Newns, CEO of MIDAS, Greater Manchester’s inward investment agency, said: “Digital City Festival is one of the most significant upcoming events in the North of England and we’re delighted to be working alongside GMCA to deliver two important keynote sessions as part of the inaugural expo. 

“Our discussions will be focused on cybersecurity and low carbon, both of which are key themes within the Local Industrial Strategy as well as the recently launched Digital Blueprint. These themes will be brought to life to showcase the role digital plays in each of these sectors while highlighting the opportunities for cross-collaboration and growth these industries offer to Greater Manchester and the world.”

Digital City Expo is on March 11th and 12th at Manchester Central, bringing together thousands from across the worlds of tech and digital. It will offer not only the opportunity to meet a range of leading exhibitors but hear from influential speakers across eight stages.


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Registration for Digital City Expo is free, and provides access to all four sections of the expo, as well as every stage – including the Keynote Theatre where MIDAS and GMCA’s discussions are hosted.

As well as sponsoring the keynote session on March 11th, it was recently revealed that MIDAS would be hosting the ‘Manchester Start-up/SME Challenge’ Dragons’ Den-style event alongside the Department for International Trade and Business Growth Hub, offering the chance to pitch to business leaders from around the city.

Digital City Expo is a central part of Digital City Festival, which comes to Manchester on March 9th, lasting five days. It’s made up of a wide range of events encompassing not just the expo but a range of fringe events and parties, official opening, Digital City Awards, and more.

Find out more about everything that’s going on across Manchester at Digital City Festival at www.digitalcityfestival.com


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