World-class lineup addressing AI issues at Cambridge Tech Week
It features discussions on quantum computing, photonics and artificial intelligence breakthroughs, exclusive insights from the leaders driving AI regulation and responsible innovation, plus unrivalled access to the people and ideas shaping the global technology agenda.
With its deep roots in academic excellence and commercial innovation, Cambridge is uniquely positioned to convene diverse voices and shape practical outcomes. From cutting-edge AI breakthroughs to the future of healthcare, from start-up success stories to the ethics of creativity in the age of algorithms, this year’s CTW programme is set to spark conversations that will echo far beyond the city.
One central theme unites it all: Seizing the AI Advantage, exploring how artificial intelligence can deliver both economic growth and public good, while addressing the profound societal and ethical challenges it presents.
With several sessions sold out and the Start-up to Scale-up day running a waiting list, demand has been unprecedented.
“The programme is going down brilliantly, and we have people travelling from near and far,” says Paula Rogers-Brown from the event’s steering committee. “Delegates are coming from the largest tech companies – like NVIDIA and Meta – to the most innovative founders shaping the global start-up scene. We’ve already booked the Corn Exchange for next year to make room for everyone as a result of the interest we’ve had already this year.”
WORLD-CLASS LINEUP
Attendees will hear from global tech leaders, founders of billion-pound companies, leading academics, and public policy shapers. One of the week’s most high-profile speakers is Sir Nick Clegg – former UK Deputy Prime Minister and, until earlier this year, President of Global Affairs at Meta.
In an exclusive interview, he will discuss the geopolitics of AI with former MP, Dr Julian Huppert (now Director of Jesus College Intellectual Forum), examining the regulatory approaches of different regimes, and the challenges of scaling technology ethically across political and cultural contexts.
Professor Sana Khareghani, AI Policy Lead for Responsible AI UK and former head of the UK Government Office for AI, will compare global innovation ecosystems – while renowned entrepreneur/ author Margaret Heffernan will tackle the complex balance of danger and opportunity in AI, addressing how society can engage with it more productively despite the propaganda surrounding new technologies.
In a series of intimate fireside conversations, Ilyas Khan, founder of Quantinuum, the world’s largest integrated quantum computing company, will explore the technologies redefining computation; founder Eben Upton will sit down with London Stock Exchange chair Michael Findlay to share the inside story and strategy behind Raspberry Pi’s landmark listing; and serial entrepreneur Kristian Segerstrale, co-founder of Playfish and Chair of Super Evil Megacorp, will talk scaling and selling gaming ventures.
This year’s panel programme brings equal weight and urgency with bold debates and roundtable discussions around the future of computation, with issue addressed including: How close are we to realising Quantum commercial reality? Is photonics ready for prime time? Can silicon leapfrog its own limits?
Kosten Metreweli, Principal VC and Startups, Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Mark Slack, Co-founder and Chief Medical Officer of CMR Surgical, the $3billion surgical robotics company, will debate how to super-charge the next generation of unicorns.
In another panel discussion, chaired by Tabitha Goldstaub, author of How to Talk to Robots, Cambridge’s AI ecosystem will be put under the spotlight with contributions from Dr Tom Diethe, Head of The Centre for Artificial Intelligence (Executive Director), AstraZeneca and Dr Paul Calleja, University of Cambridge.
There will also be exclusive site visits and behind-the-scenes tours of some of Cambridge’s most influential technology companies, including Cambridge Consultants.
Innovation Alley (Tuesday 16th and Wednesday 17th) will see a live innovation showcase of 84 of the brightest Start-ups and Scale-ups – including Forefront RF, Secondmind, Levidian, HutanBio, Spotta, HotHouse Therapeutics, Zizo, Biotryp Therapeutics and many more. A ‘Scale Up Pitching Event’ will see five emerging ventures (illumion, Cambridge Surgical Models, Reclinker, Kodiaq Technologies and Sqwish) battle it out on the main stage in front of investors and the media.
The programme will additionally accommodate around 240 students in a dedicated Tech Futures programme designed to raise awareness among young people – especially those from diverse and under-represented backgrounds - about the broad range of careers available in the tech sector, including paths they may never have considered before.
Michaela Eschbach, CEO of Cambridge Wireless, said: “We are absolutely delighted with the run up to the event. We have an incredible number of international delegations descending on Cambridge, plus thousands of colleagues from across the UK who want to start Autumn with a detailed look into AI and how we can deliver more together for the UK and beyond. We can’t wait to meet you all at the event.”
MONDAY 15TH SEPTEMBER: Welcome to Cambridge
On the Monday, delegates will hear from Sana Khareghani, Professor of Practice in AI at King's College London and AI Policy lead for Responsible AI UK, an international ecosystem for responsible AI research and innovation.
She has also worked as a software engineer in big corporations and start-ups, as a management consultant advising senior officials throughout North America, Europe and the Middle East, and in HMG, as the inaugural Head of the UK Government Office for AI leading the team to publish the UK's National AI Strategy.
Also taking the stage on the opening morning is David Cleevely – entrepreneur, investor, and author of Serendipity: It Doesn’t Happen by Accident. Cleevely will challenge the idea that innovation is just a matter of luck, arguing that with the right environment, networks, and mindset, you can engineer your own breakthroughs. Drawing on decades of experience co-founding companies like Raspberry Pi and Abcam, his talk will be a masterclass in cultivating the conditions for world-changing ideas.
The first afternoon is all about discovery and inspiration, offering delegates a hands-on glimpse into Cambridge’s thriving innovation ecosystem. Gold sponsor Cambridge Consultants will once again welcome registered guests behind the scenes for an exclusive tour of its cutting-edge facilities. Meanwhile, event hosts The Bradfield Centre will stage an AI Innovation Showcase, spotlighting breakthroughs from some of the region’s brightest minds.
Across the road, St John’s Innovation Centre will come alive with rapid-fire lightning talks on AI from pioneering tenants, including Jonathan Custance (Green Custard), Sabesan Sithamparanathan (PervasID), Jason Maschinchi (Cambridge Kinetics), and Layla Hosseni-Gerami (Ignota Labs). It’s an afternoon designed to give you a true taste of the ideas, energy, and talent that make Cambridge a global innovation hub.
TUESDAY 16TH SEPTEMBER: Innovation Landscape Day
Following a welcome from Oli Barrett, attendees will hear from Tim Passingham, Chair and Founder of Cambridge Management Consulting, Chair of alternative network provider Lightning Fibre, Chair of the IoT pollution reduction technology business Iknaia, and Co-Founder and Non-Executive Director of sustainability consultancy edenseven. Tim also chairs a thinktank called The Intelligent Network (TIN) which is attended by CxOs from many of the world’s largest telecommunications, cloud and content providers.
Steve Young, Senior Vice President & General Manager, Dell Technologies UK will deliver the second keynote of the day before a panel session titled ‘AI for Leaders: Turning Innovation into Acceleration’. Tim Ensor, EVP & General Manager, Intelligent Services Business Unit at Cambridge Consultants will then deliver a talk exploring the potential of humanoid robots.
A pre-lunch panel will look at where AI is delivering for the public good across the economy and public services, and the importance of building AI ecosystems in the UK capable of delivering solutions and spurring innovation. The panel features Philip Milton (Head of Economic Public Policy, UK, Meta), Max Beverton-Palmer (Head of Public Policy, UK, NVIDIA), Karen McLuskie (Senior Advisor for International Technology, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office), and Hind Ziane (Founder and CEO, Genpo).
Speaking on the main stage on Tuesday afternoon is acclaimed author, entrepreneur, and CEO Dr. Margaret Heffernan, a formidable voice in leadership and foresight. Named to the Thinkers50 Hall of Fame in 2024 and author of six books including Willful Blindness, Uncharted, and Embracing Uncertainty, Heffernan brings a unique blend of insight from the media, corporate, and academic worlds.
Her keynote will tackle one of the most pressing topics of our time: AI’s dual potential to empower and disrupt. With generative AI reshaping industries at pace, Heffernan will ask whether we’re doing enough to engage with the risks, ethics, and human implications of the technology - beyond the prevailing hype.
In the first panel session of the afternoon, four thought leaders will tackle one of the defining questions of our time: AI is transforming the world of work – are you ready? Dr Abigail Gilbert (Co-Director at the Institute for the Future of Work), Euan Cameron (AI and Emerging Technology Leader at PwC), Hanna Naima McCloskey (Founder & CEO of Fearless Futures) and Usman Ikhlaq (Programme Manager of Artificial Intelligence, techUK), will explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping industries, from automation to augmentation.
Their session, AI and the Future of Work: Unlocking Global Productivity, will examine how cutting-edge technologies are driving efficiency, redefining workplace dynamics, and setting the stage for a new era of human–machine collaboration.
The second panel session of the afternoon is ‘The Growth Challenge: How to Scale Responsibly. As leaders race to integrate AI, ensuring safety, ethics, and trust is more critical than ever. How can we scale AI responsibly while mitigating risks, avoiding bias, and maintaining transparency? Panelists Emilie van der Lande (Founder, Creative Intelligence), Jakob Mökander (Director, Science & Technology Policy, Tony Blair Institute for Global Change), Ray Eitel-Porter (Lumyz Advisory, Founder, Accenture, Senior Advisor for Responsible AI) and Daniel Quirke (Senior Public Policy Manager, Wayve) will explore the frameworks, policies, and innovations shaping the ethical expansion of AI.
WEDNESDAY 17TH SEPTEMBER: Start-up to Scale-up Day
On Wednesday’s Start-up to Scale up Day, emcee Faye Holland will open the programme with a conversation with seasoned entrepreneur and venture capitalist Michael Jackson on the structural and strategic challenges founders face. Holland will be digging into his views on Europe’s unique scaling hurdles – from fragmented markets and regulatory complexity to the scarcity of growth-stage capital – ahead of a day of discussion packed with real-world wisdom for ambitious founders.
The first fireside chat of the day is between Michael Findlay, Chair of the London Stock Exchange plc, and Eben Upton, Founder of the Raspberry Pi Foundation and CEO of Raspberry Pi Holdings. Few British tech stories are as compelling as Raspberry Pi. Originally launched as a device to teach youngsters programming, Raspberry Pi has grown into a global computing powerhouse, now valued at £838 million. The conversation will explore Upton’s journey from educator to entrepreneur, and what it takes to scale an idea into an international business.
This is followed by the panel ‘Super-powering Start-ups: How to build the next generation of Unicorns’. The panel features Tom Nugent (Managing Editor, Sifted), Kosten Metreweli (Principal VC and Startups, AWS), Mark Slack (Chief Medical Officer and Co-founder, CMR Surgical Ltd) and Dr. Rebecca Simmons (Chief Operating Officer, 52North Health).
Amelia Armour (Partner, Amadeus Capital Partners) and Kristian Segerstrale (Chair, Super Evil Megacorp) then engage in a fireside chat before the second panel of the day – ‘Scaling Without Borders: Lessons in Global Growth from Leading Scale ups’.
This session explores the strategies and real-world experiences behind scaling internationally, from the UK to the US, Asia, and beyond. Margaret Rice-Jones (Chair, ScaleUp Institute), Vanessa Colomar (Partner, Dalloway Partners), Karen Yu (President, ITIC, Industrial Technology Investment Corporation) and Priscila Chaves (AI Strategist & Innovation Leader, Cargill) will share their experiences of helping startups navigate the complexities of cross-border growth and build resilient global operations.
The afternoon session kicks-off with the Nick Clegg fireside chat on ‘The Geopolitics of AI’, before a panel discussion titled ‘The University Challenge: Spinning Out Tomorrow's Game-Changers’.
The final talk of the day is from entrepreneur and AI expert Daniel Hulme (CEO at Conscium, Chief AI Officer at WPP, Conscium, WPP). He will share key lessons on scaling startups, from securing investment to leveraging AI for a competitive edge.
THURSDAY 18TH SEPTEMBER: Tech Deep Dives
Thursday’s Tech Deep Dives bring together the brightest minds to explore game-changing innovations across MedTech/HealthTech, Quantum/Semiconductors and ClimateTech/Agri-tech. The MedTech track takes place in the morning and Quantum/Semiconductor in the afternoon at The Guildhall on Market Square in Cambridge. ClimateTech/Agri-tech is a full day event at St Catharine’s College, Cambridge.
Healthcare is on the cusp of an AI revolution, and Cambridge is at its epicentre. This tech deep dive session will focus on Sensors, Data & the Future of Care. Setting the Scene is Dr Uday Phadke (CEO and Director, The Triple Chasm Company and The Research & Development Society), who will talk about AI in healthcare and how we will focus on applications focused on sensors and data.
The first panel will look at novel sensing technologies, diagnostics, companion diagnostics and therapeutics. Iain Simpson (Director, Global Pharma Segment, Phillips Medisize) is joined on the stage by Valentina Vitiello (Head of Clinical Translation and Governance, London Institute for Healthcare Engineering), Kauser Hussain (Global Head of Partnerships & Market Expansion, Flow Neuroscience) and Annelise Soulier (Co-founder, CSO Neobe Therapeutics).
Sajan Khosla (Global Head of Clinical Data Science and Real World Evidence, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca) delivers the first keynote – Transforming patient outcomes with AI, before a panel discussion addressing data structuring, data management and data regulation.
The Future of Computation: Beyond Silicon
Thursday’s programming deep dives into technological frontiers, one of which is about computation. With AI workloads exploding, the environmental and resource costs of traditional computing models are under scrutiny. By 2030, AI-driven electricity consumption is forecast to hit 1,500 TWh - equivalent to India’s current total.
This raises urgent questions: What comes after silicon? Are quantum computers commercially viable? And, will photonics finally deliver on its long-awaited promise?
Curated by tech industry veteran Rupert Baines, the session features a powerful lineup of speakers, including Ilyas Khan (Founder & Chief Product Officer, Quantinuum), Hugo Saleh (President and CCO, Quantum Motion), Jonathan Legh-Smith (Executive Director, UKQuantum), Dr Andrew Fitzgibbon (Engineering Fellow, Graphcore), Ed Wood (VP of Product, Nu Quantum), Marco Ghibaudi (VP Engineering, Riverlane) and Tanyaradzwa Mangoma (Founder & CEO, HyperCIM).
They’ll explore not only technical progress but also how the UK and Europe can remain globally competitive in a race increasingly dominated by US and Chinese investment in advanced computing.
Innovating for Impact: Climate Tech & Agri-Tech at the Crossroads
At St Catharine’s College, a day of bold ideas and fresh solutions begins – where the urgency of climate action meets the ingenuity of agricultural transformation. Here, scientists, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders gather to explore not only what is possible, but what must be done.
The day opens with a voice that has spent over a decade charting our path beyond fossil fuels: Chris Goodall, acclaimed author, investor, and authority on the global energy transition. With his keynote “From Impossible to Possible”, Chris frames the challenge before us: a world on the brink, but armed with unprecedented tools for change.
• Session One – Redefining Energy Systems for Net Zero
From the promise of hydrogen to the electrification of industry, this session dives deep into the technologies reshaping our energy landscape. Sofia Esteves, Head of Market Insights for Net Zero, lays out the critical data on global decarbonisation and the necessity of cross-sector collaboration. Emma Fletcher of Octopus Energy outlines how energy systems are in transition and will consider areas including renewable energy integration, grid modernisation and the current emissions landscape. David Ferguson of EDF and Niall Mottram from Cambridge Consultants confront the barriers to industrial transformation in the morning’s panel with Emma Fletcher, while two pioneering start-ups – Omid Saghafifar of Remedium Energy and Georgia Ware of HotGreen Solutions - showcase decarbonisation innovations already in motion.
• Session Two – AI for Climate: Game-Changer or Resource Risk?
Nicky Dee, founder of Carbon13, sets the stage for a spirited exploration of AI’s role in solving the climate crisis. Three Carbon13 start-ups present their AI-driven solutions, leading into a live debate on whether AI is not just helpful, but essential for climate action.
• Session Three – Agri-Tech and the Future of Food
Food systems are at the frontline of climate resilience. Dr Elliott Grant, Visiting Fellow at Cambridge University’s Institute for Manufacturing, challenges the audience to think critically about AI’s influence on the way we feed the world in his keynote “Eating Tomorrow”, followed by two case studies from Professor Gerard Parr MBE and Professor Anthony Hall. The session concludes with all three speakers in conversation with Belinda Clarke of Agri-TechE, on how science and technology are driving the next agricultural revolution.
• Session Four – Scaling Nature-Based Solutions
The Climate Tech and Agri-Tech deep live concludes with a discussion on reforestation to regenerative farming, and examines nature’s own technologies. Start-up founders Antoinette Nothomb (Cyanoskin) and Dr Giovanni Bandi (Biomet.life) share their cutting-edge approaches before joining a panel chaired by Pete Nisbet of Edenseven, alongside Kyle Gray from The Crown Estate, to explore policy, investment, and land management strategies for scaling these solutions.
The day closes with what is sure to be an inspiring keynote from Dr Emily Shuckburgh of the Cambridge Zero, reminding us that the window for action is narrow, but the opportunities for impact are vast.
Ann Fisher, founder of Cambridge Tech Week, concludes: “In our third year we’ve really built on Cambridge’s story of impact beyond the city. The programme is full of international speakers and visionaries, and Innovation Alley is going to be the central meeting place for delegates as they learn more about Cambridge’s role in Seizing the AI Advantage.”
CamTechWeek is supported by Cambridge Management Consulting, Dell Technologies and AMD, and is Powered by Cambridge Wireless. For more information and to book tickets visit www.cambridgetechweek.co.uk
Deadline looms for hot-ticket workshops and roundtable events
Cambridge Tech Week is running a series of ‘special feature’ workshops and roundtables alongside the main conference at the event running 15-19 September 2025. These hands-on sessions are open to all, encouraging delegates to deep-dive into important issues for the technology sector, such as business growth and scaling, investing in frontier technologies, unlocking the potential of female founders, and sustainability & Net Zero.
The majority of these hot-ticket sessions are by application before tomorrow’s (September 5) deadline.
Tuesday
• 09:00-13:00 Startup to Scaleup Clinics, Hosted by Cambridge Management Consulting
• 10:00-11:00 Unlocking Investment Potential in Female Founders, Hosted by UBS
• 13:00-17:00 Sustainability & Net Zero Clinics, Hosted by Cambridge Management Consulting
• 14:00-15:30 AI Leadership from Within: Dell’s ‘Customer Zero’ Strategy for Scalable Transformation, Hosted by Dell Technologies
• 16:00-17:00 Seeing Around Corners: Strategies for Investing in Frontier Technologies, Hosted by EdenBase
• 16:30 – 18:00 Technology Adoption For Leaders, Hosted by Cambridge Management Consulting
Wednesday
• 09:30-10:30 SME Growth Agenda: Scaling Resilient Enterprises with Agentic AI, Hosted by Frazier & Deeter
• 12:00-13:00 Scaling Deeptech: Unlocking Value Through Intellectual Property, Hosted by Venner Shipley
• 17:30-19:00 Exclusive Launch Event for Startups & Scaleups, Hosted by cofinitive – a Cambridge MC Company
Thursday
• 09:00-13:00 Digital Transformation Clinics, Hosted by Cambridge Management Consulting
• 13:00-17:00 Business Growth Clinics, Hosted by Cambridge Management Consulting
For further information on specific sessions and to apply for tickets ahead of the September 5 deadline, visit the fringe events section of the CTW website.