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As Moore’s Law approaches its physical limits, the race is on to discover what comes next in computing. With AI usage accelerating at an unprecedented pace, the environmental impact is becoming impossible to ignore - by 2030, AI-driven electricity consumption could hit 1,500 TWh, rivalling the total power usage of India today.

But it's not just about electricity. The broader resource demands - greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption, and thermal management - are pushing current computing models to the brink. The need for sustainable, energy-efficient alternatives is not just important; it's urgent.

Some of these solutions stay rooted in silicon, reimagining what's possible with traditional architectures. Others venture into the extraordinary - quantum computing, photonics, and hybrid approaches that promise to redefine performance, scalability, and efficiency.

In this session, held in The Guildhall on Market Square, we’ll explore the frontiers of compute innovation with leaders who are shaping its future.

Expect bold insights and real-world perspectives as we ask:

  • Is it time to reinvent silicon?
  • How close are we to commercial quantum computing?
  • Will photonics finally deliver on its transformative promise?

Join us for a deep dive into the technologies redefining the future of computation - at the intersection of performance, power, and possibility.

Discover the Quantum & Semiconductors programme

 

13:30

  

Registration and Refreshments

 
 

14:00

 

Fireside Chat

Ilyas Khan

Ilyas Khan

Founder, Vice Chairman, and Chief Product Officer, Quantinuum

Eric Van der Kleij

Eric Van der Kleij

Co-Founder and General Partner, EdenBase

 
 

14:15

 

Reinventing Silicon
Silicon is still the heart of all electronic systems, with rich ecosystem, software stacks and investment that make it hard to displace. But some people are re-inventing silicon to leapfrog barriers.

Lawrence Lundy-Bryan

Lawrence Lundy-Bryan

Partner, Lunar Ventures & Author, State of the Future

Ed Bithell

Ed Bithell

Head of Strategy and Sovereign Partnerships, Fractile

Laura Sartori

Laura Sartori

Senior Product Manager, Codasip

Tanyaradzwa Mangoma

Tanyaradzwa Mangoma

Founder & CEO, HyperCIM

 
 

14:40

 

Quantum Computing
In the year of quantum computing performance continues to accelerate. A discussion on what is coming next and how near are we to commercial quantum reality.

Jonathan Legh-Smith

Jonathan Legh-Smith

Executive Director, UKQuantum

Hugo Saleh

Hugo Saleh

President and CCO, Quantum Motion

Marco Ghibaudi

Marco Ghibaudi

VP of Engineering, Riverlane

Ed Wood

Ed Wood

VP of Product, Nu Quantum

 
 

15:15

 

Refreshment Break

 
 

15:45

 

Photonics: Light-Speed Innovation as photonics
Promises orders of magnitude improvement in speed and energy efficiency, is it ready for prime time?

Dr Andy Sellars

Dr Andy Sellars

Director of Strategy, CORNERSTONE

Mark Rushworth

Mark Rushworth

CEO, Finchetto Ltd

Dr Gwenhivir Wyatt-Moon

Dr Gwenhivir Wyatt-Moon

CEO and Co-founder, Prospectral

 
 

16:25

 

Closing Keynote

Dr Andrew Fitzgibbon

Dr Andrew Fitzgibbon

Engineering Fellow, Graphcore

 
 

16:35

 

Closing Remarks

 

*draft agenda, subject to change

The Tech Deep Dive is proudly supported by:

Diamond Sponsors