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Returning for its second year at the most ambitious city centre regeneration project in the UK: Sunderland's carbon-neutral, central urban neighbourhood, Riverside Sunderland.
Event Background
Expo Sunderland’s debut event at City Hall “Delivering the Future City 2023” was chaired by the BBC’s Home Editor, Mark Easton. Mark described the waves of positivity sweeping through Sunderland, as a place on the edge…. the cutting edge. Full of determination, ambition, and optimism – busily focused on seizing the opportunities of the future.
A year on, how is the city gathering pace? What can we learn from our neighbours as the Northeast Combined Authority takes shape and a new government will be positioning its manifesto plans, underpinned by new strategies to drive economic growth and social value?
“Delivering the Future City” will return to City Hall, set in and amongst the latest stages of the rising buildings, new transport links and new public realm that are all coming to life and into action across the Riverside.
WATCH THE SHORT VIDEO FROM 2023
Event Synopsis
The event itself sets to re-imagine the evolving notion of a future city in the Northeast of England, celebrating advancements in architecture, technology, and collaboration.
An unrivalled opportunity for businesses from across the region to see the exponential growth of our future cityscape and connect with others through new and vibrant conference sessions, round table discussions and extraordinary networking events.
Join the conversation at Delivering the Future City 2024 as the flagship event underpinning Autumn Conference Week in Sunderland.
Over 2 days, delegates will be inspired to learn from Sunderland and its neighbours as to how we can all actively contribute towards:
- Providing sustainable communities, hospitality and driving a circular economy.
- Utilising a Smart City with digital inclusion at its heart.
- Discussing urban design in advance manufacturing and application methods.
- Inspiring and upskilling the next generation of sustainable jobs in the region.
- Applying health and wellbeing and arts and culture in urban regeneration.
Get involved now as we develop this 2-day programme to show our thriving, healthy and sustainable city in a brand-new way for all our businesses to be part of.
CLICK ON THE SESSION OUTLINES BELOW FOR MORE INFORMATION
If you are interested in speaking, sponsoring or getting involved in some other way:
Supported by UKSPF funding
Expo Sunderland is delighted to be partnering with Innovation SuperNetwork to accelerate the development of start-ups and scale-ups on Wearside with the help of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
With support from Sunderland’s UKSPF Programme, the Expo Sunderland project aims to address challenges to industry solutions and stimulate local business development to show that local innovative solutions are at the heart of the city’s net-zero goals of creating a flourishing, healthy, sustainable city and boost the local social economy.
Innovation SuperNetwork will bring their experience in Systems Design to work with local innovators through a series of workshops ahead of Expo Sunderland's events programme.
Up to 50 local enterprises will be invited to develop innovation plans from the summer of 2024, enabling businesses and enterprises to come together to co-explore applications and alignment of existing solutions to prioritise challenges and spotlight opportunities as part of Expo Sunderland's 3 core themes, to be played out in the forthcoming event programme - the first being "Delivering the Future City 2024".
Attendees will be offered follow on support through the Innovation SuperNetwork’s portfolio of programme delivery helping enterprises to unlock access to expertise and finance to bring their new products and services to market.
Tuesday 15 October: Investment in PLACE
9:30am – 9:45am:
OPENING KEYNOTE SESSION Sunderland's Urban RegenerationSUNDERLAND’S URBAN REGENERATION: Re-invention in context of its place.
How is Sunderland rising to the growth challenge, ensuring the city is gathering pace, working with government, its people and business?
“Accelerating regeneration and investment to drive economic growth”.
9:45am – 10:45am:
CONFERENCE SESSION 1 Northeast Reinvention in context of the UKSTAYING AHEAD: Northeast reinvention in context of the UK
How the current economic outlook for the UK will shape the growth of new sectors and attract inward investment for future success.
Our expert panel will share their views on Sunderland’s current strengths and sources of competitiveness compared to the region, as well as the issues to address if the city is to remain attractive to investors. This session will explore:
- The investment location factors that matter to Boards and investors
- What Sunderland can learn from other regional best practices
- Act now: what politicians and regulators must do to make Sunderland a leading destination for UK capital.
Event Partnership & Session Sponsorship opportunities open now - from only £1,995
11.00am – 12.00pm:
CONFERENCE SESSION 2 Ready for a New Industrial StrategyGROWING TOGETHER: How can developments in the city extend across the region to work together to drive growth?
Leaders from across the Northeast will share their insights on how the quadruple helix of the city, Local Government, community groups and businesses having structured conversations can become embedded as a single mission and expanded across the Northeast to work together to drive growth.
This session will explore:
▪ How devolution to city-regional government is good for growth.
▪ How the Northeast can drive innovation and learn from each other.
▪ How Northeast cities can collaborate to meet their common challenges.
Event Partnership & Session Sponsorship opportunities open now - from only £1,995
12.00pm – 13.00pm: CONFERENCE SESSION 3
Role of the Circular EconomyHOW THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY MUST DRIVE INNOVATION IN BUSINESS
Businesses are having to deal with ever more rapid change: sometimes as innovators, often reacting to disruption.
Session 3 invites a case study as to how they’ve led change to meet the challenges of decarbonisation, followed by a panel line-up that explores the broader learnings on both driving innovation and dealing with disruptions.
Our panellists will then discuss how Sunderland can deliver a circular industry – regenerating, reusing and recycling – to help meet the city’s net zero commitments; and the wider lessons from leading innovation and dealing with disruption here for city businesses.
Event Partnership & Session Sponsorship opportunities open now - from only £1,995
14.00pm – 15.00pm CONFERENCE SESSION 4 Taking advantage of a Smart City
DIGITAL CONNECTIVITY: Taking advantage of a Smart City
Digital connectivity has transformed the way individuals, businesses, and societies interact, communicate and operate.
Sunderland won UK Smart City of the Year in 2020; Connected Britain Digital Council of the Year 2021, Connected Britain Smart Places Award 2023 and is on track to become be one of the UK’s most advanced smart cities.
Collaboration between the public and private sector remains vital to providing seamless connectivity, laying the foundation for data-driven solutions to city-wide challenges.
This session will explore some of the current innovative partnerships in play and examine:
▪ Strategies for bridging the digital divide in urban communities
▪ What role does connectivity play in laying the foundations for the data driven innovations of the future?
▪ Urban data governance and privacy in smart cities
▪ How businesses can benefit from better connectivity to boost productivity and their bottom line.
Event Partnership & Session Sponsorship opportunities open now - from only £1,995
15.00pm – 16.00pm CONFERENCE SESSION 5
How can we drive regional growth?GROWING TOGETHER: How can developments in the city extend across the region to work together to drive growth?
Leaders from across the Northeast will share their insights on how the quadruple helix of the city, Local Government, community groups and businesses having structured conversations can become embedded as a single mission and expanded across the Northeast to work together to drive growth.
This session will explore:
▪ How devolution to city-regional government is good for growth.
▪ How the Northeast can drive innovation and learn from each other.
▪ How Northeast cities can collaborate to meet their common challenges.
Event Partnership & Session Sponsorship opportunities open now - from only £1,995
Wednesday 16 October: Collaboration for the PEOPLE
9:30am – 9:45am:
OPENING KEYNOTE SESSION Genuine CollaborationSUNDERLAND’S URBAN REGENERATION: Re-invention in context of its people.
Sunderland is repurposing itself for a new age, with a vision to write a new chapter in its proud story. Such vision requires genuine collaboration – which is today’s theme.
“Underpinning reinvention with leisure, culture and education to drive skills, job opportunities and social value needed to create a legacy”.
9:45am – 10:45am:
CONFERENCE SESSION 1 Keeping Up AppearancesKEEPING UP APPEARANCES: Turning Sunderland’s urban planning into a sense of belief for its people
How will the current developments for the city shape the growing demand for stewardship of the place by its people?
This session will explore:
- Integrating health and wellbeing into urban planning
- Arts and culture as catalysts for urban regeneration
- Putting nature on an equal footing in creating communities
- Cultural heritage preservation and adaptive reuse
Our expert panel will share their views on Sunderland’s culture, creative, tourism and sport strategies compared to the rest of the UK, as well as the issues to address to make Sunderland more attractive to its people and tourists see the city as a new destination. This session will explore:
- The importance of integrating health & wellbeing into planning
- How arts & culture are catalysts for increasing visitor numbers
- Act now: what stakeholders must do to make Sunderland a leading tourist destination with attractions.
Event Partnership & Session Sponsorship opportunities open now - from only £1,995
11.00am – 12.00pm:
CONFERENCE SESSION 2 Ready for a New Wave of IndustriesNEW WAVE OF INDUSTRIES: Are our young people ready and working age population willing?
Drawing upon Day 1’s showcase on the level of investment and confidence in the city, what is being done to support Sunderland’s students and working age people to ensure the city is ready and waiting with the skills needed by the upcoming industries?
Our panel will examine:
▪ What are the incentives needed to attract young people to stay in Sunderland to learn and then earn?
▪Do we have the right curriculum to attract young people into the city’s new sectors?
▪ What is being done to remove existing barriers and create viable opportunities for students and working age people of Sunderland?
Event Partnership & Session Sponsorship opportunities open now - from only £1,995
12.00pm – 13.00pm: CONFERENCE SESSION 3
New Careers in SunderlandSTAGE TAKEOVER: Spotlight on pathways and new careers in Sunderland and the Northeast
Shining the spotlight on the learning pathways and pipeline of careers in Esports, Film, Advanced Manufacturing, NHS and Modern Methods of Construction and the benefits that will roll out to hospitality and subsequent challenges to the day and night-time economies.
Session 3’s line-up will each explain how they’ve led change to meet the challenges of skills shortages and explore the broader learnings to be taken to drive education and dealing with new-world technologies.
Our panellists will then discuss how Sunderland can deliver a joined-up education to employment and stimulate business start-ups and scale-ups – to help meet the city’s expected lucrative explosion of job opportunities.
Event Partnership & Session Sponsorship opportunities open now - from only £1,995
14.00pm – 15.00pm CONFERENCE SESSION 4 How to Foster Sustainable Communities
SUNDERLAND’S DEMOGRAPHICS: How to nurture our current challenges to foster sustainable communities?
Just one challenge topic is Sunderland’s aging population and high number of unpaid carers of which 70% are women. How do we turn “designing for” into “designing with”? People need safe affordable travel, accessible safe nature spaces, quiet spaces for respite and all the positive health outcomes that are associated with nature.
Collaboration between the public and private sectors with the people is vital to providing sustainable new communities and matching technological solutions with the basics of city-wide challenges.
This session will explore some of the current challenges and innovative partnerships in play and examine:
▪ Strategies for bridging the cultural divide and low incomes in urban communities
▪ How do green spaces become appealing, connected and safe green places?
▪ What are the barriers to connecting communities with their city?
Event Partnership & Session Sponsorship opportunities open now - from only £1,995
15.00pm – 16.00pm CONFERENCE SESSION 5
Devising a Winning Formula for a Future CityWINNING FORMULA: What are the plans for healthy homes and lifestyles in a future city?
Leaders from across the built environment and health sectors will share their insights on how structured conversations lead to collaboration and improved health and wellbeing of residents.
This session will explore:
▪ The future city in the context of its environmental, coastal and rural position.
▪ The economic case for building new and upgrading homes sustainably, digitally and ergonomically to better the lifestyles of the aging population and next generation.
▪ How advancements in architecture are accelerating the evolving notion of a future home.
Event Partnership & Session Sponsorship opportunities open now - from only £1,995
Sunderland Business Week
It's all happening 14-18 October 2024!Sunderland Business Festival
Since 2021, Sunderland Business Festival has been celebrating the dynamic businesses based in the city. In 2024, they will build the programme to further inspire enterprises from across the region, with a host of engaging speeches and sessions from high profile business leaders as part of the week’s event schedule.
2023 Speakers and Supporters
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