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Chief Covid communicator to address Bristol Tech Festival
Returning for its sixth year, Bristol Technology Festival is gearing up for a celebration of innovators, innovations, community and the thriving tech scene of the city.
Dubbed as the UK’s ‘largest regional tech festival’, this year’s edition will feature professor Patrick Vallance, government minister and former chief Covid communicator, as a keynote speaker.
Lord Vallance was a familiar figure during the pandemic when he stood alongside professor Chris Whitty and prime minister Boris Johnson in the daily press briefings.
The festival organisers have expressed their delight at this year’s line up which includes Vallance, a highly respected academic and industry expert in the health sector.
Under the current government he serves as the minister of State for Science, Research and Innovation.
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On the event, Vallance said: “The UK’s life sciences sector is a driving force behind both our economic growth and the transformation of healthcare.
“The government is committed to strengthening the UK’s leadership in life sciences and innovation, ensuring that this growth benefits every region of the country – including the South West.
“By bringing together academia, industry, and government, we’re fostering collaborations that will spark tomorrow’s breakthroughs. The Bristol Technology Festival provides an opportunity to showcase how regional hubs help to drive our national ambitions.”
Bristol Tech Festival will run for a week where each day will have its own unique theme – photo: techSPARK
The festival, organised by techSPARK will showcase a week full of events. Each day of the festival will have its own unique theme, focusing on a core topic of what makes tech one of the most exciting sectors in the region and beyond.
Nick Sturge, chair of techSPARK, said: “We are incredibly excited to be welcoming this esteemed panel of industry experts and thought leaders to Bristol Technology Festival.
“The purpose of this discussion is to host a summit of national scale, but with a regional flavour, and we see this as a perfect way to round off what is set to be a fantastic week of discussion, discovery, and debate.”
Professor Vallance will be taking centre stage as the keynote speaker at the Health & Life Science Summit, which will take place on Friday, October 11 at City Hall.
Government minister and former chief scientific advisor Patrick Vallance will deliver his keynote address at City Hall on Friday, October -photo: Milan Perera
For the summit, he will be joined by a panel of distinguished guests including Darren Jones MP, professor Michele Barbour, associate pro vice-chancellor at University of Bristol and Dr Penny Dash, chair of the North West London Integrated Care Board.
The keynote address will focus on UK technological research and development and its role as a catalyst for sustained economic growth. The event is expected to bring together key stakeholders and well wishers to discuss opportunities to capture and accelerate innovations in health and life sciences being developed in the area.
For the full programme, visit www.techspark.co/tech-festival
Main photo: Lauren Hurley
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