About this Event
Who will control the technologies shaping Britain’s future?
On 15 October, technology leaders, founders, innovators and policymakers from across the UK will gather at Unity Place, Milton Keynes, for a day of conversation, debate and connection.
Hosted by BBC Technology Editor Zoe Kleinman, the MK Tech Week Flagship Conference confronts one of the defining questions facing business and government: who owns, controls and benefits from the technology being built today?
From sovereign AI and data resilience to deep tech, advanced manufacturing, robotics and autonomous vehicles, the conference will examine the technologies reshaping the UK economy—and the opportunities for organisations ready to act.
Taking place at the heart of the Oxford–Cambridge Growth Corridor, this is where national ambition meets the people building, funding and governing the future.
Expect expert insight, challenging perspectives and valuable connections with leaders from technology, industry, research and government.
Your ticket includes access to the full conference programme, lunch and refreshments, followed by drinks and networking from 17:30.
Speakers and Panelists include:
- Our host: Zoe Kleinman – Tech Editor at The BBC
- Sir Dermot Turing – Author and Trustee at The National Museum of Computing
- Dame Dawn Childs – CEO, nLighten
- Dame Helen Atkinson – Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Cranfield University
- Martin Brock – CTO, HMGCC
- Matt Allen – Executive Director, Oxford-Cambridge Supercluster
- Chris Allsopp – Co-founder, N:SYM and Origami Labs
- Dr Laura Bishop – AI and Cyber Security Digital Sector Lead, BSI
- and many more...
Theme: Sovereign Technology
As AI becomes infrastructure, the question of data sovereignty, technology resilience, and who holds the keys to critical systems has moved from the edges of policy debate to the centre of board agendas. Organisations across every sector, from financial services to manufacturing, are asking the same question: where does our data go, and can we trust the systems we depend on?
The conference will explore what sovereign technology means in practice, why it matters for UK competitiveness, and what opportunities it creates for businesses willing to act.
Sessions will span sovereign AI and data, advanced manufacturing and deep tech, the role of the Oxford–Cambridge Growth Corridor in building resilient technology capability, and the entrepreneurship ecosystem growing within it.
SCHEDULE
08:30 – 09:45 | Doors open
Registration, exhibition and networking.
09:45 – 09:55 | Welcome & opening
Zoe Kleinman, BBC Technology Correspondent & Presenter
Zoe Kleinman is one of the UK’s leading technology journalists, covering AI, cybersecurity, autonomous vehicles and emerging technologies for BBC News, BBC World News, BBC World Service and Radio 4’s Today.
09:55 – 10:15 | Sovereign Technology: Building the Capability to Shape Our Own Future
Dame Dawn Childs, CEO, nLighten
As technology and AI become increasingly critical to business and society, what does true technological sovereignty mean for the UK? Dame Dawn Childs opens the conference by exploring the infrastructure, resilience, skills and capabilities needed to strengthen the UK’s technological independence, competitiveness and ability to shape its own future.
10:15 – 11:10 | Who Controls AI? Building Britain’s Sovereign Capability
Chair: Zoe Kleinman, BBC Technology Correspondent & Presenter
• Dr Laura Bishop, AI & Cyber Security Digital Sector Lead, BSI
• Dame Dawn Childs, CEO, nLighten
• Chris Allsop, Co-Founder, Origami Labs
• Paul Maker, CTO, Aiimi
AI is rapidly becoming critical infrastructure, but what does technological sovereignty actually mean in practice? This panel explores the capabilities and dependencies behind AI, from data, compute and physical infrastructure to cybersecurity, standards and skills, and asks where the UK needs greater control, resilience and capacity.
11:10 – 11:25 | Break
11:25 – 12:10 | From Pioneering Trials to Everyday Transport: The Future of Autonomous Mobility
Chair: Michael Pattinson, Director, Protospace
• Rebecca Advani, Lead Systems Engineer, Connected Places Catapult
• Ian Pulford, Smart City Consulting
• David Webb, Head of Autonomy, Voltempo
• Gabriele Perino, Trend Research, Smart City and Future Mobility Research & Advanced Engineering, Nissan
Milton Keynes has been leading the way in autonomous vehicle innovation for more than 10 years, from the first LUTZ Pathfinder pods to today’s autonomous shuttle trials. As the UK looks to strengthen its position in developing and deploying sovereign technologies, this panel will explore what Milton Keynes’ experience can teach us about making autonomous vehicles a safe, trusted and practical part of everyday transport.
12:10 – 12:50 | Building a Sovereign Workforce
Chair: Amy Knight
• Cat Marin, Executive Principal, MK College
• Dame Helen Atkinson, Deputy Vice-Chancellor – Faculty of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Cranfield University
• Phil Kenmore, Director of Employers & Partnerships, The Open University
How can the UK build the skills and talent needed for greater technological self-reliance? This panel explores how education and industry can work together to develop a resilient, future-ready workforce, with Milton Keynes as a catalyst for national ambition.
12:50 – 14:00 | Lunch
Lunch included. A chance for delegates to network and explore the expo.
14:00 – 14:20 | From Milton Keynes to Mission-Critical: Building Britain’s Security Through Technology
Martin Brock, CTO, HMGCC
Martin joined HMGCC at Hanslope Park, Milton Keynes, as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) earlier this year. Martin has a background in physics and electronics and 25 years of experience in industry, working with startups and larger companies. His focus now lies in leading HMGCC’s overall technology and innovation strategies, including maximising collaboration with industry and academia to address emerging technological challenges.
14:20 – 15:10 | Reindustrialising Britain: Building the Next Generation of Industry
Chair: Muhammad Altalib, Isembard
• Francis Lempp, Co-Founder & CBO, CARNOT
• Harry Shield, Senior Technical Lead, Greenjets
• Howard Mitchell, Investment Director, Mercia Ventures
Britain is entering a new era of industrial ambition. From advanced manufacturing and next-generation propulsion to energy technology and the capital needed to scale it, a new generation of companies is rebuilding the country’s industrial base.
This panel brings together Greenjets, Carnot Engines, Isembard and Mercier Asset Management to discuss what reindustrialisation actually looks like in practice: how we build and finance new industrial companies, rebuild manufacturing capability, turn breakthrough technology into physical products, and make Britain a place where things are built at scale again.
15:10 – 15:25 | Break
15:25 – 15:40 | Start, Stay, Scale: Building Sovereign Capability in the Growth Corridor
Matt Allen, Executive Director, Oxford-Cambridge Supercluster Board
Milton Keynes sits at the heart of the emerging Oxford–Cambridge Growth Corridor. This session asks how the region can turn its extraordinary concentration of research, technology and engineering expertise into globally significant businesses, investment and jobs.
15:40 – 16:25 | Making the Corridor Work
Chair: Matt Allen, Executive Director, Oxford-Cambridge Supercluster Board
• Will Gallagher, Chief Strategy & Development Officer, East West Rail
• Naomi Green, Managing Director, England’s Economic Heartland
• Alistair Lomax, Director, Arc Universities Group
• Sophie Lloyd, Head of Economic Development, Milton Keynes City Council
The Oxford to Cambridge Growth Corridor has a greater concentration of research, technology and engineering capability than almost anywhere in the world. It is also one of the UK’s clearest routes to growth.
The Supercluster has played an integral role in ensuring this opportunity for UK PLC is not missed, knowing that the region’s value lies not only in what it discovers, but in our ability to translate that into UK capability that grows. The Supercluster’s OxCam Vision sets out the ambition for the region to become a top 10 global innovation cluster, as part of a connected region of four million people, where what’s created here grows into businesses, jobs and capability that stay in the UK.
16:25 – 16:40 | Break
16:40 – 17:30 | Closing Conversation: Sir Dermot Turing in Conversation with Zoe Kleinman
Sir Dermot Turing and Zoe Kleinman, BBC Technology Correspondent & Presenter
From the origins of modern computing to today’s AI revolution, Sir Dermot Turing offers a unique perspective on the technological transformation of the last century — and the questions that remain about where technology takes us next.
17:30 – 19:00 | Closing reception and networking
Drinks reception and networking, supported by x+why.
19:00 | Event close
Event venue & nearby stays
Unity Place, 200 Grafton Gate, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.