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Network & Learn: Unlock the Power of Digital in your Business

Digital Northants: Collaborate, Innovate, Transform

Network & Learn: Unlock the Power of Digital in your Business | Semlep

Are you a small or medium-sized business in Northamptonshire looking to grow, innovate, or improve efficiency through digital tools and support?

Join us for an afternoon of insight and inspiration as Digital Northants brings together local leaders, innovators and businesses to explore the power of digital transformation. From AI in business to collaborative innovation, discover how this thriving community is shaping the future of Northamptonshire’s digital economy.

Plus, stay fueled and energized throughout the day with a fresh brew from the University of Northampton Fuelling Innovation Coffee Van, serving up delicious drinks all day long!

Taking place on 16th September at Corby Enterprise Centre, Northamptonshire, this FREE networking event will give you the opportunity to:

 

What You’ll Learn

  • What is Digital Northants and how can it help you?

  • Real stories from local SMEs that have embraced digital

  • Tools and training to boost productivity and visibility

  • How to get involved in the growing digital community

  • Discover the variety of business support, workshops and funding available from SM Growth Hub
  • Listen, learn, and share with members of your business community 

Who Should Attend?

  • Small and medium business owners

  • Startups and sole traders

  • Marketing and operations managers

  • Anyone interested in digital transformation

Agenda:

12:00pm – Arrival, networking and lunch

1:00pm – Welcome & SMGH update

1:10pm – Business “pitches” – 45 seconds to tell us about your business

1:30pm –UON Fuelling Innovation Programme and how you can access more support

1:35pm – Empowering Innovation, collaboration and digital transformation across Northamptonshire – Richard Beards & Rob Howe

1:50pm – AI Beyond efficiency – Eric Bye

2:30pm – collaborate to compete – Stuart Smith

2:50pm – Q&A

3pm – Close

 

Empowering innovation, collaboration and digital transformation across Northamptonshire

Digital Northants is a thriving community driving innovation, collaboration and digital growth across the region. By joining, businesses gain access to shared knowledge, local partnerships and opportunities to shape the future of Northamptonshire’s digital economy.

Richard Beards and Rob Howe manage the Digital Northants initiative and will talk about some of the benefits of being involved.

AI beyond efficiency

Eric Bye is an AI consultant based in Northamptonshire and works with businesses to maximise the value they gain from modern AI.

Most people start with efficiency when they think about AI. Automation will save time and money – but anything you can automate, your competitors and customers can also automate. The opportunity is to combine your expertise, data and relationships with AI to create value that compounds rather than simply time saved. In this session Eric shows leaders how to move past quick wins and build durable advantages.

Expect practical examples, a straightforward way to spot high value use cases, and takeaways you can apply immediately. Outcomes include better products and services, stronger client relationships and tools that guide and develop employees throughout their journey in your organisation. Going beyond efficiency is how you avoid a race to the bottom and get the most from today’s generative AI.

Collaborate to compete – Unlocking the power of digital for your business

Stuart Smith is Head of Innovation for dbfb Communications, a local IT and technology provider.

Stuart will talk about the power of collaboration within the Digital Northants community and across the wider region. He will cover networking with stakeholders and collaborating with like-minded businesses and partners.

He will also discuss co-developing digital projects, piloting them and taking them to market. The goal is to drive local growth, support skills development and create job opportunities in the area.

Q&A panel discussion: AI and the Digital Northants community with Stuart, Eric, Rob and Richard to close the session.

Speaker Bios

Eric Bye

Eric is an AI consultant based in Northamptonshire. He began his career in 2012 at an artificial intelligence company. Since then he has built products and run operations in tech startups and led digital transformation work in large enterprises. He now supports organisations across the UK with AI training, strategy, governance and product development.

With a strong commercial, product and technical background, he focuses on practical adoption, measurable outcomes and responsible use. His work bridges leadership education and hands on delivery so clients move from clarity to capability and maximise the value they gain from modern AI.

Stuart Smith

Prior to joining dbfb, Stuart has worked for major tech companies such as Alcatel-Lucent, Zayo, Nokia and CityFibre, in addition to working with Cisco, Microsoft and HP. He has also consulted for more than ten Local Authorities. This includes a £250m smart town centre regeneration project in Bracknell, which went on to become the second fastest growing town centre in the UK, and the £2.5bn regeneration of Elephant and Castle, the largest regeneration project in Europe at the time.

Recently he helped create a new UK Internet Exchange, NCL-IX in Newcastle, helping spearhead major digital tech growth in the north east. Stuart’s role as Head of Innovation involves driving tech innovation to address societal challenges in areas such as healthcare, wellbeing, the high street, sport and public safety, to drive growth, support skills and create local jobs.

Rob Howe

Rob is Head of Learning Technology at The University of Northampton. He is co-chair of the Centre For Active Digital Education and Chair of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) subgroup. He has been actively involved in community projects such as Digital Northants along with co-coordinating the now well-established Merged Futures event. He has many years’ experience of work with IT applications in education and business.

Richard Beards

Richard is the Innovation Manager for West Northants Council and project manages Digital Northants.

Richard’s role is to find interesting stories of people’s use of technology across Northamptonshire and promote it through the Digital Northants network, through events and social media.

Richard also looks to solve some of the council’s problems with use of innovative technology and brings the Digital Northants community into West Northants for collaboration on various projects.

 

Why not join us earlier for our ‘Ready, Set, Fund’ workshop? We’re making a day of it in Corby and hosting a workshop in partnership with Barclays Business Bankig to provide you will knowledge, tips & expertise on how to become investment ready and share more about the South Midlands Capital Growth Grant in the morning. We’ll be providing a light lunch in between the events with the morning session starting at 10am through until 12pm. You can find out more and book for Ready, Set, Fund here: Ready, Set, Fund! Mastering the art of becoming investment ready | Semlep

 

** Please note that we may share your personal data as appropriate with event partners and that by registering for this event you are agreeing to your information being shared with our event partners.

The personal data shared is as follows – Name/Email/Phone

Should you not want your personal data to be shared, please email samantha.hunter@southmidlands.org.uk