Annual tech conference ScotSoft is set to reboot as CmdR on the 1st October, bringing Scottish technology people and organisations together with global industry innovators, to share insight and discuss the opportunity for the sector to support economic and social recovery from COVID-19.
The conference, now in its 23rd year, is run by Scottish tech industry body ScotlandIS and will help businesses and professionals focus on future trends, opportunities for growth, leadership skills and strategies and help the digital community thrive.
Parallel sessions running throughout the day will focus on actions businesses can take to recover and grow, taking a deep dive into core subjects including cloud, AI, programming languages and security, while also considering how technology can help transform other business sectors, highlighting some of the best solutions Scotland has to offer.
Hosting the event in a virtual environment allows ScotlandIS to bring the community together in a safe way, to learn, share and reconnect. It has also allowed the organisation, which is funded by member subscriptions, to make the event free to attend for the first time ever and widen the delegate base to encourage non tech businesses to join in on the day. Digital is critical and a catalyst for economic growth and is powering the digital transformation of businesses across the globe.
Jane Morrison-Ross, chief executive at ScotlandIS, said:
“The coronavirus pandemic has made digital critical to everything we do. Digital enables learning from home, teaching from home, and working from home: digital has to be seen as a utility, underpinning home, work, and industry.
“As we seek to create a Digital Nation within Scotland, Cmd R ScotSoft2020 will create an opportunity for everyone to explore the future of new technology, to listen to international industry leaders and to connect with the leaders of tomorrow.”
Steve Guggeinheimer, corporate vice president at Microsoft, will deliver a keynote speech at the event discussing his experiences in AI and how it’s changing the world and being implemented. Other speakers include Rik Ferguson, Trend Micro, Kate Forbes MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Scottish Government, Colin Cook, Digital Director, Scottish Government, Mark Goodwin, Mozilla, Olivia Gambelin, AI Ethicist, James McMinn, Bellrock Technology and many more.
While ScotSoft has featured Young Software Engineer of the Year awards since its inception, this year we will also include the Digital Technology Awards, to recognise Scotland’s emerging tech talent and celebrate the breadth of Scottish businesses leading innovation in the industry.
Jane Morrison-Ross added,
“The Young Software Engineer of the Year awards are our celebration of the talent and innovation coming from young minds across Scotland. The Scottish tech sector, from start-up to large corporation, has also been instrumental to supporting our nation through this pandemic, and we’re looking forward to highlighting these individuals and businesses through the awards programme at our conference this year.” Tickets are free and registration will close on Wednesday 30th September.
CmdR ScotSoft2020 is supported by Skills Development Scotland, KAL, The Data Lab, Scottish Government, 7 Elements, Leidos, Edge Testing Solutions, BCS and Sopra Steria.
To find out more, head over to the Cmd R ScotSoft2020 website and book your free place.