11th June, 2009

Venue

Corn Exchange, Cambridge, UK

Structure

(a) Indicative duration: 9.30-16.45, with networking reception at the end until 6pm

(b) Technology Showcase: from 10am to 6pm + iTeams pitch

(c) Sessions: 2 keynotes and 4 panels (A1, A2, B1, B2) in parallel sessions

(d) Agenda:

         9.30 - 9.40        Intro by President

         9.40 - 10.00      Opening speech

         10.00 - 11.00    Keynote 1

         11.00 - 11.30    Coffee Break

         11.30 - 12.30    Panel A1 / Panel A2

         12.30 - 14.00    Lunch

         14.00 - 15.00    Panel B1 / Panel B2

         15.00 - 15.30    Coffee Break

         15.30 - 16.30    Keynote 2

         16.30 - 16.45    Conclusion by President

Panel discussions

A1 - Technologies for Sustainable Development

Through the rapid growth of trends like mobile phone applications and low-cost, low-power computer technology initiatives, investors see the opportunity to invest in socially responsible ventures. The panel will discuss the issues concerned with the investment in and development of innovative technologies to contribute to the social and economic progress of emerging countries.

   The panel will seek to answer the following questions:

   - How can technology development benefit emerging  countries both at the grass roots level and more broadly by stimulating the local economies? 

   - Does the so called “developed world” see developing countries as customers or as service providers? And how do emerging countries view the prospect of foreign investment/companies bringing in technology?

   - What do companies gain by making investments in developing countries?

   - Predictions for the most promising sustainable technologies which will be become common practice in the future?

A2 - Innovation in Post-Genomic Era

The human genome project and the ultrafast DNA sequencing have had a revolutionary impact on biomedical research. However, genomics has not changed the state of healthcare for the ordinary consumer, nor has it been able to fully exploit the vast amount of information in genomic data. Emerging approaches have the potential to translate genetic information into a product, a therapy or into discoveries that may change the face of medicine.

   The panel will answer the following questions:

   - When will we be able to predict diseases from genomic information and deliver personalised treatments?

   - What are the upcoming breakthroughs that will translate advances in genomics into novel healthcare services and products?

   - Who is going to deliver these new treatments: existing multinationals, emerging start-ups or public sector-led initiatives?

   - What ethical and regulatory considerations might impact the development of genome-based treatments?

B1 - Zero Carbon Cities

Many governments increasingly aim to erase the carbon footprint of houses, businesses and in fact whole cities. The UK government has pledged that all new homes from 2016 must be “zero-carbon”, having zero net emissions of CO2 from all energy use in the home. This panel will explore the views of academics and industrials on the feasibility of such goals.

   In particular, it will answer the following questions:

   - What are the latest trends in technologies enabling zero-carbon cities?

   - Can it be a profitable venture for construction companies?

   - What are the key investment risks in zero-carbon technologies?

   - What should be the role of the government?

B2 - The Pervasive Web

The advent of affordable netbooks and 3G mobile data service providers over the past years is drastically changing the way many people access media and their data. A storm of computing clouds is gathering that allows instant up-to-date access and sharing of our files. The panel will discuss about the impact of cloud computing on on-line businesses and their customers.

   We invite our panelists to discuss the following issues:

   - Is Britain in the position to steal a march on Silicon valley?

   - How can businesses take advantage of the opportunities offered by cloud computing?

   - What is the cultural impact of the cloud computing revolution?

   - How will books and other media adapt as they lose a key competitive advantage, i.e. easy portability?