Earlier this month members of the Cornwall Trade and Investment team went to Web Summit, Lisbon, the largest technology conference in the world. The team joined over 60,000 delegates including start-ups, investors and public sector organisations as well as world-leading companies such as Airbnb, Spotify and Uber to explore the latest news in tech and network with the Web Summit community.
The conference ran over four days and involved over 1200 speakers, exhibition halls, night summits and events tailored to specific topics. Cornwall Trade and Investment’s aim is to attract businesses into Cornwall, with a dominant focus on technology-led businesses and industries, the regions digital connectivity, as well as enviable lifestyle and creative talent pool, makes Cornwall a natural choice for next-generation businesses seeking a UK base. Web Summit provides the optimum environment to meet with forward-thinking businesses and entrepreneurs.
The team met with a range of businesses who were interested Cornwall’s business proposition including the diverse, highly skilled talent pool, the academic expertise and, of course, the lifestyle – synonymous with the tech industry and Cornwall alike.
Web Summit offered the Cornwall Trade and Investment team an opportunity to meet with businesses across a variety of sectors, most notably the Agritech, Healthtech and Creativetech sectors, subsequently leading to further conversations post-event and the possibility of some exploratory trips to the region.
As well as generating business interest in Cornwall the event provided the perfect opportunity to raise the profile of ‘Brand Cornwall’ and help promote the region as a business destination. One of the most interesting moments at the event was attending the pre-event start-up tour, which showcased Lisbon’s start-up community and what it can offer aspiring entrepreneurs. Interestingly, the team found that there were numerous synergies between Lisbon’s start-up community and Cornwall.
Key moments:
“Tech is turning life upside down as we know it. Technology’s impact is only just beginning”
Paddy Cosgrave, Founder of Web Summit.
“The rise of powerful AI will either be the best or the worst thing to happen to humanity”
Stephen Hawking, speaking at Web Summit, 2017
“We’re no longer at a point where we are just imagining what might emerge in the future, but we are now actively living in that future”
John Krafolk, Waymo Chief Executive
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