Speakers

SAVE THE DATES 19TH – 20th MARCH 2025 LONDON

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Submit your Speaker proposal

Sancroft Convene, London, 19th – 20th March 2025

Accelerate Innovation. Together

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How do you contribute to innovation in Connected Places?

A connected place is where more than just people, infrastructure, economy and planet come together. It’s also where the digital world, new modes of transport and mobility, and exciting new networks for trade and exchange coincide. A connected place is integrated, inter-dependent, interoperable and ultimately more productive and innovative.

The call for speaker proposals is now open until 20th September 2024

The vision of a connected place

The Summit will be guided by the vision of a connected place, and how to make it possible through:

Collaboration

We want to support place leaders from across government and industry to rise to the generational challenges and opportunities that new technologies, mobility modes and business models are bringing with them. The Summit is an opportunity to help empower our leaders with the ideas, tools and networks to spend smarter, invest with confidence, and create sustainable, innovation-led local economies.

Explore:

How government and industry can rise to the unprecedented technological, economic, environmental and social changes
How to empower cities and regions with greater decision-making authority to foster economic growth, innovation, and entrepreneurship
What the UK’s new procurement landscape mean for local innovation, jobs and growth

Innovation

Innovation is the engine of transformative change and sustainable, economic growth. Not only do innovative businesses create jobs and investment, place-based innovations improve the UK’s physical and digital infrastructure. That is why local leaders, policy makers, business and industry are coming together like never before – across every mode of transport, every infrastructure sector, every tier of government.

Explore:

What the future of connected, sustainable 21st Century transport is likely to be
New ways to harness the transformative role of digital technology in decarbonising our economy
Tools and networks for growing your local innovation economy

Key themes

Today, our city leaders need to be able to understand in real time the speed with which challenges and opportunities arise in a modern urban context. Issues like air quality, affordable housing, social inequality, and environmental sustainability cannot be tackled without embracing new technologies, opportunities to collaborate with diverse stakeholders, innovative new business models, and a clear vision and roadmap for the future. Place leaders need the tools, insights and networks to unlock the innovation potential of people, economies, and physical infrastructure.

The world of technology is changing almost by the minute. Advances in digital technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, the internet of things (IoT) and data analytics are enabling local leaders in cities to collect and analyse vast amounts of information about their residents, infrastructure, and resources. The new data-driven economy is helping leaders make better-informed decisions when it comes to improving the efficiency of public services, optimise transportation systems, managing energy consumption, improving public health, while also identifying new opportunities for economic growth.

How we get from A to B is at the heart of a city’s productivity, accessibility, liveability and sustainability. Effective local and regional leadership requires careful yet bold investment in public transportation infrastructure, promoting active modes of transportation like walking and cycling, implementing smart traffic management systems, and supporting the adoption of electric and autonomous vehicles. By prioritising mobility as a key component, place leaders can enhance connectivity, reduce congestion, and promote a greener and more inclusive urban environment.

Our rapidly changing natural environment is massively impacting urban life. Cities are net contributors to greenhouse emissions and climate change, responsible for 75 percent of global CO2 emissions, with transport and buildings being among the largest contributors.

The sustainability and liveability of our cities is also reliant on how we incorporate the natural world into our local neighbourhoods and spaces. Now more than ever, place leaders across government and the private sector need to be at the forefront of creating robust business cases for sustainable, net zero growth.

Connected Places Summit 2025

Submit your proposal today

Innovation imperatives

Industry Focus

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Connected Places Catapult is a company limited by guarantee, registered in England under company number 11837978. Its registered office is at 1 Sekforde Street, London, EC1R 0BE.