Scheduled to take place from June 17 to 21, TechNExt 2024 promises to be an inspiring and engaging festival, bringing together some of the brightest minds in the tech industry. The main stage conference will take place on Thursday 20th June in Newcastle.

Speakers will join the event from across the UK and beyond. The theme this year is tech for purpose. The line up includes:

David Grey, Founder of GG Care
David Grey is the founder of GG Care, a virtual elderly and dementia care companion powered by Amazon Alexa. As a primary carer for his grandmother, David has dedicated his career to helping the elderly retain their independence through innovative technology.

Avril Chester, Multi-Award-Winning Technology Entrepreneur
Avril Chester is an experienced CTO, author, podcast host, and cancer thriver. She founded Cancer Central, a technology charity, and has been recognised in Computer Weekly’s most influential Women in UK Tech list.

Tracey Follows, CEO of Futuremade
Tracey Follows is a renowned futurist listed among the top 50 female futurists globally by Forbes. She advises major brands on trends and foresight and is the author of “The Future of You: Can Your Identity Survive 21st Century Technology?”

Jude Pullen, Technologist & Physical Prototyping Expert
Jude Pullen has worked with major brands like Dyson and LEGO and is known for his work on BBC2’s Big Life Fix. He is passionate about inclusive design and innovation.

Eleanor Harry, CEO & Founder of HACE
Eleanor Harry is dedicated to eradicating child labour through technology. She founded HACE: Data Changing Child Labour and has been a vocal advocate and expert in this critical social issue.

Patrícia Rodrigues, Sports Optometrist
Patrícia Rodrigues is a world-renowned sports optometrist, known for her work in vision optimization for athletes. She currently heads the sports vision department at SC Braga in Portugal and serves as an optometrist for Tottenham Hotspur.

Dr. Atif Syed, Founder, Inventor & CEO of WootZano
Dr. Atif Syed obtained a PhD in Engineering and Electronics/Bionanotechnology from the University of Edinburgh. With expertise in Electronics, Nanotechnology, Robotics, and AI, he has built WootZano into a leading robotics company based in the North East.

David Dunn, CEO of Sunderland Software City and Dynamo, said: “TechNExt 2024 is set to showcase the best of the North East tech sector, highlighting the strength of our community and the bright future we have ahead. The festival continues to be a cornerstone for innovation and collaboration in our region, and it is a testimony to the region’s reputation that we’ve been able to attract such a talented line up of speakers to the main stage conference.”

Eleanor Harry, CEO & Founder of HACE, said: “I’m really looking forward to attending and speaking at TechNext in Newcastle this year. The North is becoming a powerhouse in the technology ecosystem. It is always a privilege to contribute by showing how we disrupt the current boundaries of technology by merging deep subject matter expertise with data and AI to tackle one of the biggest social issues of our time: child labour.”

TechNExt 2024 promises to build on the 2023 inaugural festival’s momentum, with four flagship events – the mainstage conference, industry dinner, Tech Talent Live and the festival party – set to return alongside an expanded programme of fringe events.

New for 2024 is a schools’ challenge. This will see the festival partner with regional schools to inspire students about technology and showcase the fantastic opportunities technology offers them. TechNExt 2024 will also have a renewed focus on the Good Festival Ambition, which promotes sustainable, diverse and inclusive event practices.

For more information about TechNExt 2024, including details about tickets and how to get involved in the fringe events, please visit www.technext.co.uk.

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