PANEL DISCUSSIONS

A1 - Technologies for Sustainable Development Through the rapid growth of trends like mobile phone applications and low-cost, low-power computer technology initiatives, investors see the opportunity to invest in socially responsible ventures. The panel will discuss the issues concerned with the investment in and development of innovative technologies to contribute to the social and economic progress of emerging countries. The panel will seek to answer the following questions: How can technology benefit emerging countries both at the grass roots level and more broadly by stimulating the local economies? Does the so called “developed world” see developing countries as customers or as service providers? What do companies gain by making investments in developing countries? Which sustainable technologies hold promise to become part of our daily lives in the future?

- Alan McNeil Jackson, CTO at Aptivate
- Ian Steed, Managing Director at Humanitarian Centre
- Ken Banks, Founder of Kiwanja.net
- Kristin Peterson, Co-founder & CDO of Inveneo
- Nick Hughes, Head of Social Enterprise Team at Vodafone

 

A2. Innovation in the Post-Genomic Era The human genome project and ultrafast DNA sequencing have had a revolutionary impact on biomedical research. Genomics, however, has not changed the state of healthcare for the ordinary consumer, nor has it been able to fully exploit the vast amount of information in genomic data. Emerging approaches have the potential to translate genetic information into a product, a therapy, or into discoveries that may change the face of medicine. The panel will answer the following questions: When will we be able to predict diseases from genomic information and deliver personalised treatments? What are the upcoming breakthroughs that will translate advances in genomics into novel healthcare services and products? Who is going to deliver these new treatments: existing multinationals, emerging start-ups or public sector-led initiatives? What ethical and regulatory considerations might impact the development of genome-based treatments?

- David Bentley, VP and Chief Scientist at Illumina Inc.
- David Tapolczay, CEO of MRC Technology
- Geoff Johnston, Director of Molecular Medicine at Pfizer
- Tim Haines, Partner at Abingworth
- Tim Hubbard, Head of Informatics at Wellcome Trust Sanger Instutute
- Robert James, Partner at DFJ Esprit

 

B1. Zero Carbon Cities Many governments increasingly aim to erase the carbon footprint of houses, businesses and, in fact, whole cities. The UK government has pledged that all new homes from 2016 must be “zero-carbon,” having zero net emissions of CO2 from all energy use in the home. This panel will explore the views of academics and industrials on the feasibility of such goals and on the opportunities of individual vehicle-sharing for sustainable urban transportation. In particular, the panel will answer the following questions: What are the latest trends in technologies enabling zero-carbon cities? Can it be a profitable venture for construction companies? What are the key investment risks in zero-carbon technologies? What should the role of the government be?

- Amadeo Clavarino, Founder and President of Ambiente Milano
- Arne Morteani, Associate ofEnvironmental Technologies Fund
- David Mackay, Professor at Department of Physics and writer of “Sustainable Energy: Without the Hot Air”
- Edward Murphy, Buildings Director at Mott MacDonald Ltd.
- Peter Guthrie, Head of Centre for Sustainable Development at Department of Engineering
- Steve Sharratt, CEO of Bio Group Ltd.

 

B2. The Pervasive Web The advent of affordable netbooks and 3G mobile data service providers over the past years is drastically changing the way many people access media, their data and the way they are connected to their people network. A storm of computing clouds is gathering that allows instant up-to-date access and sharing of our files. The panel will discuss about the impact of cloud computing on on-line businesses and their customers. We invite our panelists to discuss the following issues: Is Britain in the position to steal a march on Silicon Valley? How can businesses take advantage of the opportunities offered by cloud computing? What is the cultural impact of the cloud computing revolution? How will books and other media adapt as they lose a key competitive advantage, e.g. easy portability?

- Alastair Mitchell, CEO & Co-Founder at Huddle.Net
- Frank Boehnke, General Partner at Wellington Partners
- Kevin Eyres, MD Europe of Linkedin
- Nic Brisbourne, Partner at DFJ Esprit
- Tim Barker, Sr Director of EMEA Product Marketing at Salesforce.com