The Business Exchange Bath & Somerset Issue 28: Summer 2023 | Page 9

BUSINESS NEWS

Have you got your tickets to

Bath Digital Festival ?

Bath Digital Festival is back this summer for a week-long festival Monday 10th - Friday 14th July , bringing people and technology together and exploring the thriving digital scene in Bath .
Organised by techSPARK , the largest tech network in the West , Bath Digital Festival provides the local community with a platform that enables them to grow and develop their skills and build connections with local and national organisations .
Each day of the festival has a theme to engage young and old , businesses and individuals , and all abilities , through interactive seminars workshops and activities .
Here ’ s just a taster of what ’ s on ....
Emerging Tech Showcase On the opening day of the festival there will be an emerging tech showcase in collaboration with MyWorld is a £ 30 million investment project , funded by UK Research and Innovation , ( UKRI )’ s Strength in Places Fund , made up of thirteen partners including The University of Bath and Bath Spa University .
MyWorld focuses on creative technologies and their use in immersive media and screen industries , including volumetric video , virtual production , and the use of artificial intelligence to improve digital film shot in low-light conditions .
Coding Taster Session Curious about coding ? Join iO Academy Bath ’ s awardwinning coding bootcamp for an introduction to programming and software development .
Experience your first taste of a career in tech as you learn how to use HTML , CSS and Javascript to build a simple computer game .
Cyber Schools & Cyber STEM A full day event welcoming students to try cyber securitybased activities and workshops , followed by an evening celebrating Cyber STEM Ambassadors and encouraging new ambassadors to join the scheme .
Sponsored by Real World Studios
The Studio at Bath Spa Open Morning The Studio is a space where tech and creative ideas flourish . Pop along to this open morning to check out the space and see some of the fantastic companies and projects based out of there . There will be workshops , panel discussions on the practical application of artificial intelligence , and an Innovate Local event supporting the funding of creative innovation .
What can AI do for you ? Are you curious about the amazing potential of AI ? Are you wondering what impact it will have on creativity ? Would you like to know how the South West is leading work in this area ? If so , then this is the event for you . It will provide the opportunity for attendees to network and connect with other professionals in the field , fostering collaboration and innovation . This session is being hosted by Bath ’ s awardwinning innovative software developers , Rocketmakers .
Sponsored by TekTower Wednesday is a jam-packed day with five different sessions including a digital surgery workshop for the Third Sector with 3SG , a ‘ Teaming vs Teambuilding ’ session with Farleigh Performance , a Build your own CRM workshop with Agilebase , a talk on how collaboration can supercharge start ups and scale ups with Storm Consultancy , and a series of workshops and classes on digital skills for businesses and individuals with Google Digital Garage .
Sponsored by Vysiion Thursday is a day of two-sides - from the analysis of the impact of marketing communications on our minds , to cyber security , Lego Serious Play , and learning from failure - then a big celebration of tech in the evening – the SPARKies !
The festival highlight is the SPARKies Awards which will celebrate the best of tech in the South West . There are 17 categories representing the brilliance of the local tech scene up for grabs . The night will be a true celebration of the entire local tech spectrum – including those wonderful people and companies that work tirelessly to support and grow the cluster . For the first time , the awards are to be hosted in Bath ’ s beautiful Parade Gardens .
The festival will culminate in a day of poignant discussions on how tech can benefit the planet . Bath engineering firm Buro Happold are set to host a session on Smart Buildings : How technology and data are revolutionising climate-friendly engineering and digital buildings . There will also be a talk with Dr Nicola Millard , Principal Innovation Partner in BT ’ s innovation team , looking at the future of the world of work .
The week will come to a crescendo with Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution looking at The World in 2050 : Politics & Governance and how we can cope strategically with a world in flux .
To find out more about Bath Digital Festival and to book on to any of the events visit the Bath Digital Festival website . The majority of the sessions are free to attend thanks to the festivals sponsors .
For more info : www . techspark . co / bdf ./
THE BUSINESS EXCHANGE 2023 5