Tech will play a “crucial” role if the Humber is to achieve its ambitious 2040 net-zero carbon target.
Over 100 delegates gathered at Hull’s Bonus Arena on Tuesday, October 1 as Marketing Humber kicked off the two-day Tech Expo Humber.
Speaking at the event, Marketing Humber’s chair Andy Parkinson said data analytics, robotics and other advanced technologies would be essential in reducing the Humber region’s carbon emissions.
It comes as the Humber looks to put itself ahead of the Government’s 2050 UK-wide target to cut out carbon, and position itself as the country’s Energy Estuary.
Mr Parkinson said: “Tech is going to be crucial to the Humber’s ambitions to become a decarbonisation demonstrator region.
“To tackle the 75 per cent problem of reducing carbon in manufacturing, buildings and people, agriculture and transportation, we will need advanced tech such as superb data connectivity, robotics, predictive analytics, data storage and more.”
Speakers at Marketing Humber’s event, which kicked off the blockbuster Tech Expo Humber event, included IBM Z Ecosystem vice president Meredith Stowell and KCOM’s head of systems, Lindsay Rodgers.
The headline speakers explained how digital transformation is fuelling business innovation, but with the need to balance security and privacy as well as resource and budget constraints.
Mr Parkinson also made reference to the development of the University of Hull’s advanced data centre, which reinforces the university’s role as an anchor institution in the region.
He said: “We already have lots of exciting tech innovation going on in the region, and we’re in a position to capitalise on a gold-rush for technology which will underpin the decarbonisation agenda.”
Meredith Stowell travelled from San Diego, California, to attend the event as part of a programme of conferences across the UK.
The wider Tech Expo Humber, held on October 1 and 2, also attracted big names from global tech powerhouses including Twitter.
Ms Stowell said at the conference: “We are in an extremely exciting time for tech as businesses transition towards being cloud based and storing data.
“IBM is targeting creating new businesses opportunities through bringing together digital functions and traditionally physical industries such as manufacturing.
“In the Humber I can see you have many amazing things happening in digital that matter and can change the world.”
Fellow speaker Lindsay Rodgers explained how the tech industry needs to attract more girls into the sector.
She said: “We are seeing a big talent gap, and when 50 per cent of the population – girls – are excluding themselves because they don’t think tech is for them, we have potential for growth.
“Tech is a male-dominated industry - when I started my career I was one of two female developers. Now, thirty years later, there are still six women in 100 developers, and not in technical roles. In that sense you could say not much has changed.
“What’s happening in the Humber is hugely exciting. We have a problem with a talent and skills gap, but there is more we can do as an industry to inspire and reach out to a wider pool of talent.”
