FIRMS LEADING the way in Northamptonshire’s digital innovation joined students at the University of Northampton to showcase their expertise at the annual Digital Futures event staged at the university.
Around 200 people toured exhibits and attended workshops highlighting local stories of innovation, best practice in digital marketing and advances in education and health technology.
Keynote speaker Steve Walsh, director at Jumpthink digital marketing agency, is pictured above during his presentation opening the event, in which he highlighted the importance of creating a culture of innovation.
He told delegates: “Innovation is about sharing knowledge and coming at similar issues from different backgrounds.By using our cognitive diversity, we can further our thinking.
“My talk, and these kinds of events, are important to try and share learning, to propel the community forward as a whole but also to disrupt people’s thinking by coming at the same issue from different directions.”
This year’s was the largest Digital Futures event, organised by the Digital Northants partnership between the university and West and North Northamptonshire Councils. The university’s stand showcased students’ work developing a virtual reality education experience around water safety for the Office for the Police, Fire & Crime Commission. They were supported by a crew from Northants Fire and Rescue Service who simulated a water rescue scenario which the students filmed.
Kardi Somerfield, the university’s senior lecturer in marketing, said: “I think it is a time and a place where we are all together for a day, whether that is people from very specialist digital businesses that happen to be located here, some of them big businesses, but also the sharing of practice and networking.”
Delegates had discussed the university’s new Masters degree in digital marketing, some of them experienced professionals wanting to develop their learning. Others were interested in hiring students and wanted to discuss working collaboratively on projects, she added.
“It is part learning experience, a big part networking, but there is also some business getting done here.”
Businesses at the event included the likes of Microsoft, Amazon and Metro Bank. Cllr Andre Gonzalez De Savage pictured left, chair of West Northamptonshire Council’s place overview and scrutiny committee, said: “There have been so many passionate conversations, handshakes and exchanges of business cards and contacts, you can see it really does pollenate a whole range of opportunities. The only pity is that it is only one day – it could be three. It has been tremendous.”
Northamptonshire is home to intense passion, energy and enthusiasm for inniovation, he added. “The county also brings together a large collection of very diverse businesses and destinations. Some brilliant products we know we create in Northamptonshire; from special needs learning technology to parts running in high performance engines all over the world and fantastic destinations like Adrenaline Alley.”
Cllr David Howes, executive member at North Northamptonshire Council with responsibility for digital technology, said: “Each year this event sees new collaborations formed that help to drive our digital economy forward. We want Northamptonshire to be a county of digital start-ups and we want them to get the support to grow.”
