A Celebration of Innovation and Community, TechNExt 2025: A Week of Innovation, Inclusion, and Inspiration
TechNExt 2025 brought the region alive with energy, insight, and innovation this June, and once again showcased why the North East is a force to be reckoned with in the tech and digital sectors.
From cutting-edge workshops to thought-provoking panels, TechNExt created space for connection across all levels—from students to CEOs. Whether attending the Tech Talent Live sessions, Community Events, the spectacular dinner or Festival Party, there was something for everyone.
After a wonderful Industry dinner, we attended the National Innovation Centre for Data at TheCatalyst. We were greeted with a warm welcome from Paul Watson, and then had the pleasure of attending three thought-provoking sessions discussing deep insights into the current and future impact of AI across industries:
- The Foundations for AI: Why Data Must Come First
A fantastic panel on how data teams can create scalable, reusable assets by treating data as a product. Strong data foundations were highlighted as critical to unlocking AI’s full potential for business impact.
- The AI Revolution: Decisions That Shape Our World
A powerful keynote from Colin Tempest on how AI has evolved — from early algorithms to generative intelligence. Ethical considerations, machine consciousness & super-intelligence - human vs machine, and the future of work sparked meaningful reflection & audience discussion. His fascinating talk included an 100% “fake” video created using Google Veo!!
- Ctrl+Alt+AI: Rebooting the Future
An energetic panel hosted by Accenture exploring the real-life impact of Gen AI, both locally and globally. From transforming sectors to reshaping daily life, it was inspiring to see how AI is driving change.
If TechNExt showed us anything, it’s that the future is bright, and it’s being built right here in the North East
Huge thanks to the speakers and organisers for an inspiring day. Great to see the North East tech community leading important conversations about the future of AI.
