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OCTOBER 7TH 08.00 TO 18.00
CONVENE, LONDON COUNTY HALL

HARD TECH x AI BUILDING NATIONAL RESILIENCE

Join the UK’s leading hard tech and AI innovators for a day of strategy, collaboration, and investment. Explore how AI can strengthen national resilience across energy, manufacturing, and security.

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Partnered with:

Partnered with:

Backed by:

Backed by:
OCTOBER 7TH 08.00 TO 18.00
CONVENE, LONDON COUNTY HALL

HARD TECH
x AI BUILDING NATIONAL RESILIENCE

Join the UK’s leading hard tech and AI innovators for a day of strategy, collaboration, and investment. Explore how AI can strengthen national resilience across energy, manufacturing, and security.

Buy Tickets

View Agenda

Partnered with:

Backed by:

01 / SPEAKERS

Speakers

Speakers

  • Innovate UK

    Kath McKay

    Interim Managing Director

  • Innovate UK

    Sara El-Hanfy

    Director of AI and Digital

  • Lead on Defence

    Rob Shaw

    Executive Director Strategy & Performance

  • DBT & HVM Catapult

    Chris Dungey

    AI Champion for Advanced Manufacturing & Chief Technology Officer

  • Floral Energy Ltd

    Paul Stein CBE

    Founder and CEO

02 / the summit

Where DeepTech Meets National Security

The question the Summit asks is what AI can do strengthen resilience against economic shocks and stimulate economic renewal. UK manufacturing needs to build strategic niches and overcome the weakness of its wider manufacturing supply chains displaced by global competition. These strategic niches are important for strengthening national resilience, such as the protection of national infrastructure, reduction of reliance on imported energy, and raising productivity to compete globally.

The question the Summit asks is what AI can do strengthen resilience against economic shocks and stimulate economic renewal. UK manufacturing needs to build strategic niches and overcome the weakness of its wider manufacturing supply chains displaced by global competition. These strategic niches are important for strengthening national resilience, such as the protection of national infrastructure, reduction of reliance on imported energy, and raising productivity to compete globally.

The Showcase provides a close up of the companies which can transform how economic resilience and transformation is achieved when they are given the right opportunities. They are the potential future industries, represented by companies at different stages of development, from very early stage through to late stage.

As headline sponsor, Innovate UK stands forth to support hard & deep tech companies to compete in global markets at scale – the future unicorns. Barclays Bank, though its nationwide network of Eagle Labs, provides the financial infrastructure for an innovation economy to prosper. Partnered with Bessemer this is a powerful triumvirate, connecting hard and deep tech entrepreneurs, government policy facilitators, and financial enablers.

The Showcase provides a close up of the companies which can transform how economic resilience and transformation is achieved when they are given the right opportunities. They are the potential future industries, represented by companies at different stages of development, from very early stage through to late stage.

As headline sponsor, Innovate UK stands forth to support hard & deep tech companies to compete in global markets at scale – the future unicorns. Barclays Bank, though its nationwide network of Eagle Labs, provides the financial infrastructure for an innovation economy to prosper. Partnered with Bessemer this is a powerful triumvirate, connecting hard and deep tech entrepreneurs, government policy facilitators, and financial enablers.

Who is it for?

The Summit is a must for those seeking to learn how AI can transform areas linked to advanced engineering and the future manufacturing economy, enabling them to interact with the leaders and change makers of this transformation. Attendance is carefully curated to ensure that the best and most relevant come together under one roof, the hallmark of a Bessemer event.

About The Summit

The Bessemer Society is formed of the leaders of hard and deep tech companies joining together on the basis of mutual self-help. This reflects the ethos of its namesake, Sir Henry Bessemer, who helped supercharge a global industrial revolution.

The Society organises high level and VIP dinners where its members and guests can ask questions about how the UK can radically transform the way the UK innovation system works; and how to help each other’s business by sharing best practices and connections. The one-day Summit acts as a focus point and force multiplier, bringing together the key influencers and leaders that normally speak at Bessemer dinners with invited guests to look harder and longer at the question of how AI can increase national resilience.

03 / on the day

Agenda

Check in

08.00 - 08.55 AM

Registration

Entrance Foyer

08.00 - 08.55 AM

Registration

Entrance Foyer

08.00 - 08.55 AM

Registration

Entrance Foyer

08.55 - 09.00 AM

Welcome and Introduction

Entrance Foyer

08.55 - 09.00 AM

Welcome and Introduction

Entrance Foyer

08.55 - 09.00 AM

Welcome and Introduction

Entrance Foyer

Headline Plenary Talk

09.00 - 09.35 AM

Headline Plenary Talk

Kath McKay, Interim Managing Director, Innovate UK

Main Hall

09.00 - 09.35 AM

Headline Plenary Talk

Kath McKay, Interim Managing Director, Innovate UK

Main Hall

09.00 - 09.35 AM

Headline Plenary Talk

Kath McKay, Interim Managing Director, Innovate UK

Main Hall

09.00 - 09.35 AM

Headline Plenary Talk

AI Pioneer / Unicorn

Main Hall

09.00 - 09.35 AM

Headline Plenary Talk

AI Pioneer / Unicorn

Main Hall

09.00 - 09.35 AM

Headline Plenary Talk

AI Pioneer / Unicorn

Main Hall

09.35 - 10.50 AM

Plenary Panel: Economic Resilience on AI & Hard Tech Foundations

Chair: Rob Shaw, Executive Director Strategy & Performance, Lead on Defence

Main Hall

09.35 - 10.50 AM

Plenary Panel: Economic Resilience on AI & Hard Tech Foundations

Chair: Rob Shaw, Executive Director Strategy & Performance, Lead on Defence

Main Hall

09.35 - 10.50 AM

Plenary Panel: Economic Resilience on AI & Hard Tech Foundations

Chair: Rob Shaw, Executive Director Strategy & Performance, Lead on Defence

Main Hall

10.50 - 11.30 AM

Coffee Break

Canteen

10.50 - 11.30 AM

Coffee Break

Canteen

10.50 - 11.30 AM

Coffee Break

Canteen

Break out Rooms – Themed Sessions

11.30 AM - 12.30 PM

Dual-use Technologies

Combining dual use technologies and AI to meet national security challenges

Chair: Rob Shaw, Executive Director Strategy & Performance, Lead on Defence

Main Hall

11.30 AM - 12.30 PM

Dual-use Technologies

Combining dual use technologies and AI to meet national security challenges

Chair: Rob Shaw, Executive Director Strategy & Performance, Lead on Defence

Main Hall

11.30 AM - 12.30 PM

Dual-use Technologies

Combining dual use technologies and AI to meet national security challenges

Chair: Rob Shaw, Executive Director Strategy & Performance, Lead on Defence

Main Hall

11.30 AM - 12.30 PM

AI Energy Demands

Powering the AI boom – Opportunities for the UK

Chair: Paul Stein CBE, Founder and CEO of Floral Energy Ltd, former CTO of Rolls-Royce plc and Non-Executive Chair of Rolls-Royce SMR Ltd

Main Hall

11.30 AM - 12.30 PM

AI Energy Demands

Powering the AI boom – Opportunities for the UK

Chair: Paul Stein CBE, Founder and CEO of Floral Energy Ltd, former CTO of Rolls-Royce plc and Non-Executive Chair of Rolls-Royce SMR Ltd

Main Hall

11.30 AM - 12.30 PM

AI Energy Demands

Powering the AI boom – Opportunities for the UK

Chair: Paul Stein CBE, Founder and CEO of Floral Energy Ltd, former CTO of Rolls-Royce plc and Non-Executive Chair of Rolls-Royce SMR Ltd

Main Hall

11.30 AM - 12.30 PM

Industrial AI

AI for industrial competitiveness

Chair: Chris Dungey, AI Champion for Advanced Manufacturing at DBT & Chief Technology Officer at HVM Catapult

Main Hall

11.30 AM - 12.30 PM

Industrial AI

AI for industrial competitiveness

Chair: Chris Dungey, AI Champion for Advanced Manufacturing at DBT & Chief Technology Officer at HVM Catapult

Main Hall

11.30 AM - 12.30 PM

Industrial AI

AI for industrial competitiveness

Chair: Chris Dungey, AI Champion for Advanced Manufacturing at DBT & Chief Technology Officer at HVM Catapult

Main Hall

Lunch Break & Exhibition Time

12.50 - 14.10 PM

Lunch Break

Canteen

12.50 - 14.10 PM

Lunch Break

Canteen

12.50 - 14.10 PM

Lunch Break

Canteen

14.10 - 15.15 PM

Investor Showcase

A total of 24 early to late stage deep & hard tech companies are invited to showcase their potential to investors, corporates and enablers in the innovation & investment eco system. Each session is accompanied by a Q&A Panel.

Main Hall

14.10 - 15.15 PM

Investor Showcase

A total of 24 early to late stage deep & hard tech companies are invited to showcase their potential to investors, corporates and enablers in the innovation & investment eco system. Each session is accompanied by a Q&A Panel.

Main Hall

14.10 - 15.15 PM

Investor Showcase

A total of 24 early to late stage deep & hard tech companies are invited to showcase their potential to investors, corporates and enablers in the innovation & investment eco system. Each session is accompanied by a Q&A Panel.

Main Hall

14.10 - 15.15 PM

Expo Stands

There are up to 20 stands available for companies to exhibit their product or technology in the exhibition space.

Main Hall

14.10 - 15.15 PM

Expo Stands

There are up to 20 stands available for companies to exhibit their product or technology in the exhibition space.

Main Hall

14.10 - 15.15 PM

Expo Stands

There are up to 20 stands available for companies to exhibit their product or technology in the exhibition space.

Main Hall

15.15 - 16.00PM

Coffee Break

Main Hall

15.15 - 16.00PM

Coffee Break

Main Hall

15.15 - 16.00PM

Coffee Break

Main Hall

Investor Panel

16.00 – 17.00 PM

The Support Needed to Grow Unicorns

Chair: Barclays Bank

Main Hall

16.00 – 17.00 PM

The Support Needed to Grow Unicorns

Chair: Barclays Bank

Main Hall

16.00 – 17.00 PM

The Support Needed to Grow Unicorns

Chair: Barclays Bank

Main Hall

17.00 – 18.00 PM

Networking and Drinks

Main Hall

17.00 – 18.00 PM

Networking and Drinks

Main Hall

17.00 – 18.00 PM

Networking and Drinks

Main Hall

04/ showcase

The Showcase

Companies at the forefront of developing new technologies and building new industries are given the opportunity to showcase their growth potential in front of investors, corporates, customers and other stakeholders. This is taken from the play book of Silicon Valley, where vision, leadership and belief are as important as business plans and technologies.

A total of 24 companies have been selected as examples of the best and most interesting, divided into groups of eight in three break out rooms. Each break out session is moderated and includes two specialists who can ask questions.

Exhibition Stand

Exhibition stands are available for companies and organisations to showcase themselves. Each stand has its own electric power, space for two chairs a board and pop-up banners.

Enquire About Stand

04/ showcase

The Showcase

Companies at the forefront of developing new technologies and building new industries are given the opportunity to showcase their growth potential in front of investors, corporates, customers and other stakeholders. This is taken from the play book of Silicon Valley, where vision, leadership and belief are as important as business plans and technologies.

A total of 24 companies have been selected as examples of the best and most interesting, divided into groups of eight in three break out rooms. Each break out session is moderated and includes two specialists who can ask questions.

Exhibition Stand

Exhibition stands are available for companies and organisations to showcase themselves. Each stand has its own electric power, space for two chairs a board and pop-up banners.

Enquire About Stand

05 / Location

Venue Convene,
London County Hall

The summit will be located at Venue Convene, London County Hall.

County Hall, Belvedere Rd, London SE1 7PB

+44 (0)20 3735 4200

Secure Your Place at The Summit

Secure Your Place
at The Summit

Secure Your Place at The Summit

Join the UK's leading Hard Tech and AI innovators. October 7th, London County Hall.

Join the UK’s leading Hard Tech and AI innovators.
October 7th, London County Hall.

Join the UK's leading Hard Tech and AI innovators.
October 7th, London County Hall.

Buy tickets