Where Innovation Meets Opportunity: Birmingham Tech Week Returns for 2024
By Molly Matthews
2 minutes 30 seconds
Press Release

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Quick Read: Birmingham Tech Week, the UK's largest regional technology festival and conference returns for its sixth edition this year. From 21-25 October, the event is set to be the biggest yet; with over 8000 attendees and hosting 100+ speakers.
Birmingham Tech Week, the UK's largest regional technology festival and conference returns for its sixth edition this year. From 21-25 October, the event is set to be the biggest yet; with over 8000 attendees and hosting 100+ speakers.
Venues such as Millennium Point, STEAMhouse, The Exchange, and the ICC will host a comprehensive program encompassing interactive tech demos, insightful panel discussions, and forward-thinking forums. Key highlights include a Scale up Summit, an Engineering & Developer Conference, Global Growth Congress with a futuristic Tech Expo, and the prestigious black-tie dinner and awards ceremony. 
Each day will follow a core theme, with Monday focusing on leadership and Tuesday doubling down on both digital skills and the HealthTech sector. Wednesday will see the Global Growth Congress as well as a day dedicated to women in tech and cyber. Thursday’s focus is on growth, whilst Friday will finish the week with the theme of celebration. 
Alongside the festivities, Birmingham Tech Week will also host the much-anticipated ‘One to Win’ pitch competition - spearheaded by Rigby Group, Haatch, and SCC, and delivered by Midven, part of Future Planet Capital - and will see a ground-breaking £1 million awarded to a West Midlands business that’s demonstrating game-changing innovation. The pitching will take place on Wednesday 23rd with the winner announced during the black tie and awards dinner on Friday 25th. 
Supported by a number of sponsors and partners, TechWM is the not-for-profit driving the biggest regional tech festival outside of London. In its sixth (and biggest) year, TechWM will collaborate with its founding and new patrons to solidify Birmingham Tech Week 2024 as the most impactful iteration since its inception in 2019. 
Birmingham, Europe's youngest city, continues to be a hub for innovation, with more than 6,000 companies employing over 56,000 individuals, contributing to a dynamic ecosystem valued at over £15 billion. The region is also home to growing tech talent, with over 55% of university students staying within the region after graduation. 
Reflecting this innovative spirit, Birmingham Tech Week 2024 presents a programme rich with vast industry insights and associated fringe events, including sessions on Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Computing, and Augmented Reality. Businesses will have the opportunity to access expert-led discussions designed to propel growth and equip them for the future of technology, with events including advice on access to funding, global exporting, digital skills and with more to be announced.  
Since the first Birmingham Tech Week in 2019, the festival has grown by 50% and has featured talks and input from some of the world’s best innovators and entrepreneurs. This year, the event will welcome experts from leading tech brands like Microsoft and  Amazon.
Sharing his excitement for this year, Yiannis Maos MBE, CEO of TechWM and Birmingham Tech Week, said:  
“TechWM is on a mission to connect, amplify and propel the region’s tech sector, and Birmingham Tech Week perfectly embodies that vision. We continue to bring together industry leaders and pioneering tech brands to solidify the West Midlands’ position as a global tech powerhouse.”
"This year, Birmingham Tech Week is going to build on the West Midland Tech Ecosystem's narrative of Making Tech Succeed, In The Most Human Of Places, which was officially released during the West Midlands Tech review in May. We have a fantastic lineup of speakers and events planned, offering a truly enriching experience for all attendees. As well as, of course, the grand finale of our One To Win pitch competition.”  
Birmingham Tech Week is now open for registration, sponsorship, and fringe event expressions of interest. To find out more, visit www.birminghamtechweek.com.
What's new

The State of the West Midlands Digital Skills Ecosystem

Digital skill shortages could have cost the UK £4.4 billion last year alone, with projections escalating to a staggering £27.6 billion by 2030. The West Midlands, in particular, is experiencing increasing demand for intermediate and advanced digital skills - as stated by a recent research from the University of Birmingham’s City-Regional Economic Development Institute (City-REDI). 
While these figures are alarming, they are not surprising. Addressing digital skills shortages in our region represents a significant economic opportunity. With the right interventions, we have the potential to unlock unprecedented growth. 
Nearly five months into my role as Director of Digital Skills and Commercial Impact at TechWM, I’ve had countless conversations with organisations across various sectors. My goal? To understand their immediate and long-term digital skills needs—and, more importantly, why there remains such a stark mismatch between digital skills supply and demand in the West Midlands.
Photo: Victoria Pargetter-Garner, Director - Digital Skills & Commercial Impact
Shifting Perspectives on the Digital Skills Gap
Initially, I assumed that this challenge was primarily supply-side: a lack of skilled individuals entering the workforce. However, after deeper exploration, I’ve uncovered significant demand-side barriers that are preventing businesses from fully leveraging digital talent.
Let’s rewind to 2020, when the pandemic forced businesses to adopt digital tools overnight. At that time, the focus was on up-skilling the workforce to ensure employees could use essential platforms like Microsoft Teams and Zoom. There was also a surge in demand for advanced technical skills in areas such as cybersecurity, data analytics, and AI.
Since then, numerous policy interventions have aimed to boost digital skills. However, these initiatives have often been fragmented, poorly promoted, and disconnected from the businesses that could benefit the most.
The Business Reality: Short-Term Pressures Stalling Long-Term Growth
Today, while the supply of digital talent is improving, external factors such as economic uncertainty and budget constraints are forcing businesses into survival mode. Many organisations, instead of planning for the next three to five years, are focused on making it through the next quarter.
This short-term approach limits investment in digital transformation. Businesses are firefighting rather than strategising—missing out on opportunities to implement AI, automation, and other digital efficiencies that could drive productivity and profitability. Ironically, the very investments that could help businesses cut costs and gain a competitive edge are being delayed due to perceived financial and time constraints.
Photo: Yiannis Maos MBE, Richard Bovey, Victoria Pargetter-Garner, Mayor Richard Parker, Vikki Bradney-Spencer, Mike Lattimer, Lauren Monks, David Gaughan
The Disconnect Between Employers and Digital Talent
We know that businesses are struggling to find the right digital talent. Yet, paradoxically, we also know that many skilled individuals—particularly those completing digital skills bootcamps—are struggling to secure relevant employment.
So, what’s going wrong?
1. Do employers simply not know about available training initiatives?
2. Are businesses hesitant to onboard talent that lacks real-world experience?
3. Is it a case of limited resources, where employers can’t afford to train new hires?
Similarly, we see a significant underutilisation of free or heavily subsidised upskilling programs. Despite funding being available, many businesses are not taking advantage of these opportunities. Why? Is it a lack of awareness? Are course costs still perceived as too high? Or is it simply that businesses can’t afford to release staff for training?
Help Us Shape the Future of Digital Skills in the West Midlands
These are just some of the working hypotheses based on the conversations I’ve had so far. But to drive meaningful change, we need more data. That’s why, as part of the West Midlands Digital Skills Consortium—a collaboration between TechWM, the West Midlands Combined Authority, IBM UK Ltd., AND Digital, In4 Group, the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, and Skills West Midlands and Warwickshire—we are launching an employer survey.
This survey aims to provide a comprehensive view of the current digital skills landscape, helping us design initiatives that truly meet business needs. By combining this data with insights from previous surveys, such as the Local Skills Improvement Plan, we hope to develop a regional blueprint for digital skills growth—one that drives economic prosperity.
Get Involved
If you’re a business leader in the West Midlands, we need your input. Please take five minutes to complete our
Employer Survey
. Your insights will directly inform new initiatives and interventions to bridge the digital skills gap.
Additionally, we will be hosting a series of workshops to explore these challenges in greater depth. If you’d like to contribute to shaping the future of digital skills in our region, drop me an email on:
vickie@techwm.com
and I’d love to have a chat.  
Together, we can build a stronger, more digitally empowered West Midlands—one that is ready to tackle the challenges of today and seize the opportunities of tomorrow. Let’s make tech succeed, in the most human of places! 
By Victoria Pargetter-Garner
24 Feb
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