Belfast Waterfront • 3rd - 4th May, 2018www.beltech2018.com

@Beltech2018 www.beltech2018.com

#Beltech18

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A proud Tech City powered by globalbrands and vibrant indigenous innovatorsCouncillor Mairéad O’DonnellChair, Belfast City Council's City Growth and Regeneration Committee

As Chair of Belfast City Council's City Growthand Regeneration Committee, it gives megreat pleasure to warmly welcome you to

our city for BelTech 2018. Belfast City Council is proud to sponsor BelTech

once again as it provides a unique platform fromwhich to showcase Belfast’s burgeoning creative,digital and tech sector to a national andinternational audience and to raise awareness ofour commitment to growing the sector as awhole.

BelTech is a landmark event for the city’s techprofessionals. It’s informing you and your peers ofthe emerging technologies that will empower youand your companies to innovate and competeeffectively at a global level.

We have a long history of softwaredevelopment excellence and inward investmentfrom companies such as Allstate, Liberty and ChefSoftware as well as our home-grown innovators.We’re a very proud Tech City. In Belfast,technology - and its application - is driven by adesire to think differently, to storm new barriers, totransform lives and to make the impossible

possible. We’ve made a commitment to grow oureconomy by creating jobs and investing in the cityin The Belfast Agenda, our first community plan.We know that by nurturing and supportingBelfast’s creative, digital and tech industries in theright way, we have the ability to make Belfast trulycompetitive on the global stage. By providingaccess to support initiatives for new digital andtech start-ups, we’re helping our local businessesgrow, export, become more profitable andprovide more opportunities for our young peopleand unemployed – so it’s a virtuous circle. We’veset an ambitious target of creating over 15,000new jobs over the next four years.

As a city, we’re fortunate to have one of theyoungest and most highly educated populationsin Europe, a highly skilled workforce, an excellentdigital infrastructure and a plethora of innovativeSMEs making their mark in the global digitalindustry. Whether creating ground-breakinganimation for film and television or newinnovations in immersive technology and cybersecurity, Belfast is home to a new breed ofentrepreneurs. Our dynamic and growing

software and ICT sector is powered by globalbrands and supported by a vibrant indigenousbusiness base. That combination has helpedBelfast become one of the fastest growingknowledge economies in these islands. There’snever been a better time to invest in Belfast. It’s acity full of ambition, optimism and - above all -energy. Our ultimate renewable resource is thehard work, enthusiasm and warmth of our people.A city on the rise, Belfast is also one of the mostvalue-competitive locations. With billions investedin regenerating the city in recent years, by boththe public and private sectors, the transformationis set to continue. Just take a look at the cranesacross the skyline as new offices, hotels, studenthousing and a new university campus are beingbuilt.

Ours is a talented, competitive, connected andwelcoming city with determined leaders lookingboth forward and outward. It is a city resurgent,re-imagined and re-energised. It is a pleasure forus to host the 2018 BelTech conference here and Itrust it will be an inspiring and enrichingexperience for you all.

The widening scope of BelTech a testament to our talentTom Gray, CTO, Kainos Group plc

Hard to believe but this is the fifth BelTechconference and, while the event getsbigger and covers much more ground, the

job of putting it together has gotten much easier.For me, at least

The reason for this is that, while we have gonebeyond the original scope of software engineeringto include technology areas such as AI, immersivetech and cyber security, these areas have comewith enthusiastic and highly capable curators.These curators have brought their extensiveknowledge of the technology and its application,and their network of contacts, to assemble someworld-class sessions featuring the best of local andinternational talent.

So, if I don't have much actual work to do, theleast I can do is to take the time to thank thosewho do.

For the third year, Aislinn McBride and DavidAnderson have assembled a masterclass in HumanCentred Software Engineering in collaborationwith Damian Cranney.

Austin Tanney has grown last year's artificialintelligence (AI) slot into a half-day looking beyondthe hype at how AI is changing our world (and, no,that's not hyperbole). It's also worth highlighting

that one of Austin's speakers, Jason Bell - takingtime out from preparing for his talk at Strata thisyear - was the very first speaker at the very firstBelTech. Such dedication needs to be commended.

Picking up the baton from Luke McNeice, NigelMcAlpine has crafted a half-day that looks at therapidly evolving XR landscape (where 'X' is avariable, not "eXtended" or some such) that isblending the virtual and physical worlds.

And, if that's not enough, for the second year, anevening debate around design is being organizedby Damian Cranney.

Gemma Crothers has, once again, done amasterful job of assembling BelTech Edu. Thisremains a vitally important part of BelTech.Unfortunately, the number of applicants todigital/software/CS related degree courses hasdropped for the past two years. While there areincreasingly varied routes into the digital sector,the degree path remains important and anyreduction in interest locally is worrying. I can'tspeculate on the reasons for the drop but I'd urgeeveryone to continue to get involved in industryactivities to inspire the next generation of talentand educate parents about the breadth ofrewarding career opportunities available in the

sector.Of course, supporting the specialist themes of

BelTech and our enthusiastic curators is anincreasingly dynamic and collaborativetechnologist community, or rather collaborativecommunities. Since BelTech started five years ago, Ihave noticed a very pronounced increase in techcommunity activity and events and I hope thatBelTech has played a small part in enabling this.Equally pronounced though is the level ofcohesion and connectivity across these groups. Ihesitate to use words like ‘unique’ but I think it’spotentially very special.

A recent entrant into the NI environment toldme how surprised he was when he found that, notonly did we already have a dynamic AI ecosystem,but that it was thoroughly interconnected andvery easy to navigate. By the very nature of NI, wewill never have massive scale but it feels like we’restarting to make the most of our compact size.

Finally, BelTech just wouldn’t happen at allwithout the support of our generous sponsors. Thisyear, I’d like to thank Kainos, Belfast City Council,Hays Specialist Recruitment, AWS, Bank of Ireland,Unosquare and Kernel Capital for their kindsupport. Enjoy BelTech 2018.

All I see these days,particularly on social media,is Artificial Intelligence (AI). It

features in the mainstream media,advertising, movies and TV shows.There are academics andtechnologists at either end of thespectrum with one side arguingthat “it’s just math” while the otherside is claiming, “it’s an existentialthreat”. There are neuroscientistsand philosophers trying to figureout if we can ever actually generateartificial consciousness and whatthe potential consequences of thatwould be.

Beyond these theoreticalarguments, AI is just quietlyingraining itself into our everydaylives. From start-ups in Belfast tomajor multinationals, techcompanies are embracing it andmaking it a core part of theirbusiness. Whether thesecompanies are involved in

commerce, cyber security, FinTech,healthcare or the automotiveindustry, AI is becoming aninstinctive part of businessoperations.

Back in 2010, Eric Schmidt, thenthe CEO of Google, announced thatthe global search giant wasbecoming a ‘mobile first’ company.Smartphones were not new, witharound one in three people in theUK owning one. Now, it’s rare tofind someone who doesn’t own asmartphone.

Google’s decision to focus on‘mobile first’ in 2010 was not anattempt to blindly predict thefuture. They were backing the rightapproach based on clear trendsand evidence.

So, when Google CEO SundarPichai announced in 2017 thatGoogle was becoming an ‘AI first’company, this was a significantmove in a direction as obvious as

the penetration ofsmartphones.

Have you used Google?Apple? Amazon? Uber?Facebook? Twitter? LinkedIn?Have you talked to Alexa? Siri?Cortana or Google’s sadlynameless AI? The chances are,like me, you have used an AIbased service many times todayand will continue to do so. Ourdaily rituals are testimony to theunderstated but increasing rolethat AI plays in our lives. This isnot just momentary hype.

I was involved in launchingan organisation called AINI. Acommunity networking groupfor AI practitioners andenthusiasts. We announced ourfirst event on a Friday morningand by the Sunday, it was fullybooked with 110 people signedup and 40 others on a waitinglist. There is a real appetite for agreater knowledge of AI andinterest in how we can use thisto put Northern Ireland on themap.

The local tech communityhas a talented pool of peoplewith a potent understanding ofAI. On the night of the event,we had speakers from Philips,Liberty IT, Auromind and UlsterUniversity discussing their workon AI and machine learning.

If we utilise the skills and

companies that we have, and reallyembrace this new wave of interestin AI, Northern Ireland has thepotential to make a name for itselfon the global stage.

At BelTech this year I will behosting the AI session, a half day oftalks with excellent local andinternational speakers who will betalking about their work in AI.BelTech 2018 will be a fantasticopportunity to focus on movingbeyond the hype and to see how AIwill really impact our lives.

Careers in Technology

Utilise digital and emerging technologies

All degree subjects welcome

Develop cutting-edge skills

Work with Big Data

Take the opportunity of a lifetime

pwc.com/uk/ni/work-in-tech

Cyber Security | Data and Analytics Forensic Technology Solutions Technology Consulting | Technology Risk

/pwc_uk /pwccareersuk @pwc_uk_careers

© 2018 PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. All rights reserved.

Valuing difference.Driving inclusion.4�

It’s time to think ‘AI first’ By Dr Austin TanneyHead of Life Science and Healthcare, Analytics Engines

”Have you used Google?Apple? Amazon? Uber?Facebook? Twitter?LinkedIn? Have youtalked to Alexa? Siri?Cortana or Google’s sadlynameless AI? The chancesare, like me, you haveused an AI based servicemany times today andwill continue to do so.Our daily rituals aretestimony to theunderstated butincreasing role that AIplays in our lives. This isnot just momentaryhype. ”

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Whether our future reality ismixed reality (MR),augmented reality (AR) or

virtual reality (VR), there is noescaping the hype around headlinesclaiming that the ‘fourth IndustrialRevolution’ is coming. Billions areexpected to be invested and spentover the next decade to bring us all avery exciting visual experience whichwill impact our work, rest and play.

I’m in a privileged position whichallows me to try some of thistechnology first-hand and talk tosome of the people and companiesmaking this future a very ‘real’ reality.

I’m still surprised by some raisedeyebrows when I explain that virtualand augmented reality is alreadybeing deployed in industry today andis growing in sophistication andubiquity. But it can be confusing tounderstand the myriad nomenclatureflitting about Twitter and beyond,attempting to describe the variousheadsets, software and platformswhich will bring this amazingtechnology to life, never mind theoverall group sector.

Head of AR and VR at Google, ClayBavor recently added his thoughts onthe subject: “If VR and AR are twopoints on a spectrum, what shouldwe call the spectrum? Here are a fewideas: immersive computing;computing with presence; physicalcomputing; perceptual computing;mixed reality or immersive reality.This technology is nascent, andthere’s a long way to go on ourdefinitions but for now, let’s call thisimmersive computing.”

For BelTech 2018, I’ve chosen to gowith the simplest descriptor for theumbrella grouping of mixed, virtualand augmented reality, the humble ‘X’for XR or extended reality, for The XRLandscape: Extend Your Reality.

This strand will explore anddemonstrate some of the wide-ranging use cases in this area. Fromhelping complex training becomethree times as efficient andintroducing even more creative‘activations’ for mega brands to helpdrive home their message, to makingour future mobility safer.

Searching for immersive technology’s X FactorNigel McAlpine, Immersive Lead, Digital Catapult (NI)

“I’m still surprised by some raised eyebrows when I explain that virtualand augmented reality is already being deployed in industry today andis growing in sophistication and ubiquity. But it can be confusing tounderstand the myriad nomenclature flitting about Twitter and beyond,attempting to describe the various headsets, software and platformswhich will bring this amazing technology to life, never mind the overallgroup sector.”

Join us: allstate.com/ni

Do you want a job that’s out of this world?

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Astable organization has the insight toprovide innovation to its customers,support to its workforce, and solidity to

its investors. In order to deliver these attributesand determine the best investments for yourbusiness, a firm needs not just to evaluate itscurrent needs but must express a certain visionfor the future. To prepare for what’s to come,you ought to have a solid understanding ofwhat technologies will make a significantdifference for your team and workplace culture.

One such offering, AI and machine learning,is executing a future where technology drivestalent and talent embraces technology.

Personalized hiring practices You know you need new talent, but how will

you find them? Artificial intelligence and

machine learning are making waves in manycapacities such as hiring and training yourteam. Hiring is time-consuming, expensive, andfrequently frustrating. However, a fruitfulconsequence of utilizing technology has beendata, and lots of it.

For around 20 years, businesses have beencollecting large quantities of facts and nowthere is a need and a method to examine it andact upon it by using AI. The most cumbersomepart of the recruitment process, matchingpotential hires to the best jobs, is one way thatAI is enabling firms to use this information andreduce the amount of time spent onmonotonous duties. Through using this tech,decision-makers have access to better data andare able to make educated determinations.

AI can also take on organizational

responsibilities such as scheduling interviews,job seeker engagement and screening tools. AIand automation are prime examples of toolsand talent working together as it improvescollaboration, innovation, costs and time-savings.

Effective learning experiences Successful organizations are not only

measuring these hiring needs but their currentinternal needs as well, mainly in the capacity oftools, talent and their required skillsets.Conversely, beyond human to humaninteractions, businesses must also address whattechnology tools they are providing. Once thenumbers are studied, technology will betterpredict behaviour or responses to a set ofcircumstances that have already happened inthe past, implement that knowledge todecision making and identify the gaps thatneed attention.

Existing employees can benefit from AI andmachine learning too when it comes to trainingand skill assessments because AI tools evaluateteam members on tasks they currently performand jobs they may be asked to do in the future,all tailored to their specific needs andpreferences. It gives leadership a clear pictureof their achievements and capabilities,identifies areas of needed improvements andbuilds predictive models that will assist them indetermining training and hiring decisions.

Better human connections The human factor has troubled organizations

for years, especially the impending agingdemographic and shortage of those with techexperience. On the other hand, with AIopportunities in abundance, this fear of theretirement of the Baby Boomer generation canstart to recede. However, there is a newworkforce and they demand digitalization,especially as more enterprises become global.Ironically, AI and machine learning allowbusinesses to be more connected to people. Bytaking over the duties of filing applications, thehuman capital of your company is involved inmaking connections with candidates.

By assessing the needs and capabilities of aworkforce, employees are no longer subjectedto unnecessary training and have a betterrelationship with the leadership team. Part ofwhat makes a firm successful is the ability toforesee the future, and while some may becynical since the adoption of AI and machinelearning is in a relatively early stage, thepotential of it is exponential.

Competition for top talent is only expectedto increase, existing experts will be tempted togo elsewhere and, as a business, you must havesomething enticing that will, firstly attractthem and then make them want to stay.

This is especially true for youngergenerations and the global workforce. AI allowsorganizations to make quick and improveddecisions which in turn attracts and retains thebest talent. Not looking ahead and relying onthe same methods, the same practices, and thesame skillsets only makes a company dormantand unattractive to skilled individuals.

Investing in AI is an investment in your workplace culture Giancarlo Di Vece, President, Unosquare

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‘Winning by Design’, a report published at the end of last year by theIrish Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation, referencesover 40 different variants of design. The list is inspired by the‘disciplines of user experience’. Analogous to the challenge of defininga big word like design, Dan Saffer’s work seeks to map the etymologyof ‘user experience’, for some, an equally nebulous term.

This year, BelTech’s theme is ‘Design in Tech’. Giving prominence todesign and its growing role in the technology ecosystem is no bettersign of how far we’ve come in Northern Ireland business. But ourstruggle to define what we really mean by ‘design’ is an indicator of theimportant work yet to be done.

In a recent exchange with BelTech’s curators, I listened to anexperienced software lead from Kainos tell me about the richengineering ecosystem we’re now known for in Northern Ireland. “Butif we’re going to create products that can make a genuine impact inthe world”, she said, “... we now need do the same for design.”I’m paraphrasing but it was music to my ears.

Defining design isn’t easy. In Northern Ireland, enlightenedbusinesses have just about figured out that user experience is missioncritical, even though many struggle tountangle UX and UI or simply don’tcare. For the record (and in my opinion),the former is a set of methods fordesigning better software, the latter isthe point of interaction itself.

A mentor once told me thatcompanies don’t want design, theywant solutions to the problems they’restruggling with. It stayed with me.Design happens to be the bestdiscipline I know that can addressgnarly business problems as well asunlock opportunities for growth. So‘design in tech’ puts the designparadigm into technology, offering a new perspective on how tolaunch products and services that prioritise users, customers, people –and their messy realities. Whilst technology is the great enabler, thereis no design without people. If every inanimate thing we can see andtouch has been ‘designed’, then design is fundamentally an expressionof the human experience (that’s Steve Jobs, not me).

The debate rages on about what design is and how to do it. In arecent flurry of social chatter, Natasha Jen, Partner at celebrateddesign firm Pentagram argued ‘Design Thinking is Bullshit’. A headline-grabbing address delivered by a classically trained designer that, forme, missed the fact that designers aren’t terribly good at definingwhat design is, never mind ‘design in tech’. It took a mechanicalengineer called Dave Kelley to convince the business world about thevalue of design. He launched Stanford University’s globally acclaimedd.school and a little company called IDEO – now one of the world’slargest design firms.

Great design is a team sport, an output of inspired and diverseteams, not an individual pursuit. No one definition or checklist canaccurately define what it is although most of us can recognise it whenwe see it. So rather than add to the debate, a more useful exercisemight be to describe the aspects of great design that show upconsistently when design and technology are considered as two sidesof the same coin.

As a sort of combined homage to Dave Kelley’s ‘Ten Faces ofInnovation’ and MIT’s ‘Essential elements of design’, these are my nineaspects of great design (or considerations for better integrating designinto our businesses).

1. ToolsKnowledge and practice of design tools allows teams to dial up theirimagination and business intelligence, enabling new possibilities andcommunicating them to peers.2. FunctionOften referring to what things look like, design is also a process formaking things work better. Technology continues to produce newcapability so the latter definition is truer than ever.3. SystemsSystems thinking, computational design and inclusive design are thenew design paradigms for a global audience where complexity iseverywhere and the target is constantly moving.4. ExperienceDesign makes a greater impact across the spectrum of interactionsbetween business and customer. Experience is what we feel, think, orlearn when we interact.5. SustainabilityGreat design considers the impact that products and services will haveon the environment, our planet and its population.

6. GrowthDesign and innovation bringmeasurable competitive advantage totechnology companies that can embeddesign and figure out how to do itconsistently.7. BeautyFrom Apple to Airbnb, aesthetic rigour isan unmistakable part of how companiescreate great products and services.Competing on capability and value isn’tgood enough.8. PossibilityWhere do ideas come from? Designteams practice abductive reasoning

asking ‘what if?’ to reveal genuinely new ideas that can be validated ifnot proven.9. MethodTechnology is transforming the way things get done. Great designhappens as a result of sophisticated processes that use technology toshape approaches, roles and workflows.

Design has a massive role to play in the realisation of NorthernIreland’s economic potential. So I hope that BelTech can kick-start aconversation about how we can grow through a better understandingof ‘design in tech’. By no means definitive, my list sets out the aspectsof great design that can be enabled by technology. But to realise ourpotential, I believe businesses in Northern Ireland need to:• develop design capability across the

organisation• build a better understanding of design

and its value• nurture leadership to ensure design

has a ‘seat at the table’

MIT Alum and current head of inclusive design at AutoMattic, JohnMaeda has documented design in tech’s growth over the past fouryears in his ubiquitous report. So the conversation is unlikely to goaway anytime soon. As Tim Brown said in his TED talk all the way backin 2009, design got small in its preoccupation with style, but now‘design is big again’. I would go further as to predict that design’sfuture will be shaped by its relationship with technology. Andeconomic growth will be linked to how best we can embrace both.

Leading technology by designDamian Cranney, Managing Director, Big Motive

Learning, collaboration and partnership are actually right up your streetDavid Anderson, Director of Technology, Liberty IT

I enjoy this time of year not only for the slightimprovement in the weather but for BelTechrolling around like beam of warm sunshine.BelTech is time out for the NI tech community toget together and delve into the challenges andlearnings of navigating this digital revolution. In2016, myself and Aislinn McBride wondered ifthere was a way to sustain the feel-good factorand collaboration of BelTech right the wayround the year. That year they hosteddiscussions on ‘Why do Belfast companies notwork together more?’ and ‘Why is our meetupscene so quiet?’

Something must have clicked as suddenly astring of events appeared with OWASP AppSecEU 2017, BelTech 2017 and the inaugural NISoftware Developers Conference 2017, which

signalled the start of a thriving softwarecommunity. In 2017, a unique collaboration wasformed between Bank of Ireland UK, Kainos andLiberty IT called TechShare. After a lot of coffee,the co-collaborators realised that an acceleratorfor meetups was the need. Any meetuporganiser will tell you that the hardest jobs arebooking venues, food and marketing. IfTechShare could take that pain away thenorganisers could focus on the technical story.

One of the first meetups to leverageTechShare is Tech Space - the first Open Spacemeetup on the island of Ireland with acollaborative environment for people to bothshare and learn about tech. Aislinn and I havebeen running Tech Space for almost a year now,facilitating the kind of technical community thatwas a lofty goal in 2016 - in 2018, it's a regularoccurrence. TechShare also support the Ministryof Testing, and ProductTank and are on thelookout for more. Through TechShare, we cansupport our peers, learn together and give ourtech community the resilience to thrive into thefuture - and until the next BelTech of course!

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Engineering high value for human impact Aislinn McBride, Head of Engineering, Kainos Evolveand David Anderson, Liberty IT

This is the third year we have had adedicated software engineering track atBelTech. Even in that short time we have

noticed the change in our industry. It hasalways been about solving problems, but theproblems are getting bigger. So, we need agreater level of abstraction.

Did you ever notice how our working weeknever gets shorter even though we are alwaysincreasing efficiency? Yeah, we are peoplepleasers - we love solving user problems! Thetheme for this year is ‘Engineering high valuefor human impact’, quite a mouthful but

important that we recognise that good designpractice is constantly removing friction andincreasing value. The rapid progression of ourtechnology enables us to create things wecould only have dreamed about in previousyears. Software Engineering has had arecurring theme. When the next wave of techcomes along, some reject it because "it's notdoing anything new", they "don't know what'sgoing on down there" or "I don't trust it".Increased levels of abstraction have beenbuilding for decades. The latest layer isServlerless (or functions or lambdas or

function as a service) - it's so controversial weeven argue about its name. But it is a truegame changer. Servlerless allows us engineersto ‘assemble’ (not code) very sophisticatedapps using Cloud services. You want an appthat recognises images, makes decisions andspeaks to you? Sure, give me an hour. Thepower at the fingertips of engineers today iseye-watering, so our biggest challenge is notembracing the abstraction, it's figuring outwhat we can build to ensure our (human)users are happy, content and hassle-free.Yeah, we are just people pleasers after all.

bankofirelanduk.com/im

Bank of Ireland UK is a trading name of Bank of Ireland (UK) plc which is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Registered in England & Wales (No. 7022885), Bow Bells House, 1 Bread Street, London, EC4M 9BE.

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hays.co.uk/digital-technology

The world is evolving and technology is creating opportunities, which demands professionals who can manage this digital transformation.

With one of the largest networks in the technology sector, we already know the businesses and people who are pivotal to this change. Perhaps you are looking to take the next step to become CIO, or need to expand your team to champion digital change within your organisation.

Find your next career move and develop your digital future today.

For more information contact Juliann Deegan at juliann.deegan@hays.com or call 028 9044 6905

DO YOU HAVE THE SKILLS TO NAVIGATEDIGITAL CHANGE?

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When BelTech first kicked off in 2014the IT job landscape in Belfast was alittle different to what it is now. Atthe time of the inaugural event, themost sought-after professionals inthe market were IT supportengineers, database administrators,software developers andinformation security analysts. Whilstthese roles are still fairly familiar tomost (and still relevant!) what isinteresting in 2018 is how advancedand specialised these jobs in the‘digital sector’ have become.

Today, our most sought-afterprofessionals obtain a mix of skillsthat are both existing and brandnew, with digital transformation,cyber security, data and the internetof things (IoT) at the heart ofdemand. Crucially, softwaredevelopment skills remain core tomost of the areas where we expectto see opportunities developing inNorthern Ireland.As we celebrate Hays Digital

Technology becoming recruitmentpartners for BelTech 2018, here’s ourthoughts on the most sought-afterskills in tech this year:

Machine LearningThe application of this technologywill continue to proliferate beyondvirtual assistants such as Siri andAlexa, with social media networksusing it for facial recognition andmachine learning coming into thebroader business world.Predictive Analytics

As traditional businesses investin big-data strategies, we will seethe application of predictiveanalytics in new environmentsbeyond the traditional fields ofinsurance, marketing, banking, retailand healthcare.

Mobility

2017 was the year that saw mostmajor automobile manufacturersenter the market for autonomousvehicles. There will now be anaggressive race over the next fewyears to gain market share as trialsbegin in many countries globally.

IoTIt’s not just within the home whereIoT will have an impact, but in thetown. There will be a race nationallyand globally to become the city ofthe future.

AR/VRMore industries will adopt AR andVR as new innovation happenswithin this area. Virtual learning ison the agenda and thesetechnologies could see significantadvances in treatment of conditionssuch as Alzheimer’s.

CloudWith all of this connectivity anddata, the infrastructure has to be inplace to support this growth. 2017saw demand increase for AWS andAzure experience and we expect thistrend to continue into next year.

Digital TransformationIt’s not just native digitalorganisations embracing theaforementioned transformativetechnologies as traditionalorganisations are making strategicinvestments to ensure that theyremain relevant in a digital world.

Data ScienceWith machine learning andpredictive analytics increasing inpopularity, it is important that anorganisation has someone to leadtheir strategy who has a broadunderstanding of data science’s coreelements: technology, statistics andstakeholder engagement.

The most sought-after skills in techJason Brownlee, Senior Recruitment Consultant, Data Analytics & Cyber Security, HAYS Specialist Recruitment

Atlantic Link Enterprise Campus – Breaking New GroundAtlantic Link is Northern Ireland’s first Enterprise Zone – anarea offering government incentives including enhancedcapital allowances and high speed connectivity in order toencourage investment. The idea was conceived to help meetthe needs of the global digital economy by providing investorswith the technological and physical infrastructure to take theirvision to the next level.

Located on the beautiful North Coast, it’s the home of ProjectKelvin, which is delivering the fastest connectivity betweenEurope and North America. We have an incredible digitalskills base here, plus a leading STEM university right on ourdoorstep.

Phase 1 is situated on a 20-acre site, adjacent to UlsterUniversity Coleraine campus. 5Nines, a global data centrecompany, are our anchor tenant on site and will be open forbusiness in May 2018. The sectors which will benefit mostfrom having a presence on the Atlantic Link EnterpriseCampus, and will deliver most benefit to the area’s propositioninclude: IT; Financial Services – FinTech; Health & LifeSciences; Creative Media and Cyber Security.

For further details visit www.atlanticlinkcampus.com oremail niall.mcgurk@causewaycoastandglens.gov.uk

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"Today, our most sought-after professionals obtaina mix of skills that are both existing and brand new,with digital transformation, cyber security, data andthe internet of things (IoT) at the heart of demand."

Dear BelTech,

My name is Marcus Whitney and I am from Nashville, Tennessee in the UnitedStates. Nashville is a Sister City to Belfast, and I am here with a delegation of30 citizens from our city to experience all the things that make Belfastwonderful.

Professionally I am a self-taught software developer, a venture capitalistand an entrepreneur who has organized many summits, conferences andfestivals in Nashville to support our technology and entrepreneurshipcommunities over the last 15 years. Having said that, I commend you onrecognizing the importance of convening your technology community andshowcasing what you are doing to the world. It is so important to do so and I’mthrilled to be here for it.

As a visitor in your city, if you happen to see me, please say hello. I’mhoping to build relationships with innovators in Belfast. At the moment I amparticularly interested in innovation that can impact the healthcare industrybut I am a genuinely curious person and would be happy to engage in any goodconversation about technology and the future of things.

Technology is no longer an industry, it now underpins EVERY industry.What we create as technologists enables everything to work better. It is anawesome power and an awesome responsibility. Coming together to learn andbuild relationships helps us to remember the opportunity of such power andresponsibility.

I hope that some of you will consider coming to your sister city, Nashville, inlate August for our week of innovation entitled ‘Nashville Is’. You can learnmore at nashvilleis.com

Congratulations and thank you for having me,

Marcus

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Speaker BiosPeter FossickDesign Director,Factotum DesignPeter Fossick is aseasoned designdirector specialising inservice design, UXdesign, businesstransformation andinnovationroadmapping to deliverbranded omni-channel

customer-centric products and services. He is the formerService Design Programme Director at IBM, a formerDirector of Strategic Design at Boston Consulting Group– Digital Ventures and he currently leads FactotumDesign, a design and innovation agency in the UK.

With a rich range of project experience, Peter hasworked across diverse sectors with top tier globalcorporations, SMEs and start-ups in the USA, Europe,MENA, China and Australia. His project and clientexperience includes: AMP, Belfius Bank, Bank of Ireland,Cazenove, Chic-Fil-A, GM, Fairfax Media, IBM, Nissan,Lloyds Banking Group, Renault, the Saudi Ministry ofHealth, Standard Chartered Bank, VTech Holdings, WilliamHill Online and many more.

With a proven track record in successful boot-strapping and scaling start-ups at speed, Peter is an angelinvestor in several companies in the USA and UK. Heestablished Argo-Investments as a boutique angelinvestment group.

As an academic Peter developed the first BFA & MFA inService Design in the USA as well as ground- breakingundergraduate and postgraduate curricula in DesignThinking, HCD, Product Design, UX Design, InteractionDesign as well as in Innovation and Design Managementin the UK, USA and SE Asia.

Joanna HolbrookDrug discovery scientistand Head of ‘Omics’integration,BenevolentAIJoanna was previouslyProfessor ofBioinformatics at NIHRbiomedical researchCentre at University ofSouthampton andcurrently holds a visiting

professorship at same. Joanna has a PhD in Molecular CellBiology that she obtained at the MRC Institute forMolecular Cell Biology at University College London. Priorto BenevolentAI, Joanna held a position of seniorprincipal investigator at the Singapore Institute of ClinicalSciences, A*STAR, studying epigenomic markers ofcomplex disease progression in observational andinterventional cohorts. She worked for 10 years in drugdiscovery and development at Glaxosmithkline R&D.

Laura LivingstoneExecutive Producer,NtropicNtropic produce high-end visual effects anddigital content for everymedium. Ntropic workwith agencies as well asdirectly with brands andcompanies likeFacebook, eBay, Visa,Apple and Google to

name a few.Laura is originally from Armagh and has recently

relocated to Belfast. Her first job in visual effects was onIron Man 2 at Industrial, Light and Magic in San Francisco.Since then Laura has gained over a decade’s worth ofexperience in animation and visual effects, and morerecently producing VR and AR projects. She has workedon projects with well-known directors like David Nutter,

Jon Favreau, Michael Bay, Robert Zemeckis, Rian Johnsonand JJ Abrams.

SimonMcLaughlinLead SoftwareEngineer, IBMSimon McLoughlin isthe lead mobilesoftware engineer forIBM Ireland'sInnovation Exchangeteam based in Dublin.

After completing hishonours bachelor

degree in computer science, Simon focused on nativemobile development working for both small startupsand large mobile telecommunications companies. Afterjoining IBM, Simon has broadened his focus and nowuses IBM’s Watson and Cloud platform to buildautomated chatbots for social media networks,predictive analytic healthcare solutions, and large scaleIoT solutions to track and monitor semi-autonomouscars. Simon recently worked on the LEANBH project inconjunction with the INFANT centre in Cork, which wasawarded an Innovation in Business excellence award bythe Fingal Dublin Chamber of Commerce.

Akshay RupareliaManaging Director,DoorstepsAkshay Ruparelia, 19 isFounder and ManagingDirector ofDoorsteps.co.uk,Startup of the Year2017.

His sole mission withDoorsteps is to offer abranded, well-serviced

proposition to the residential resale market in the UK.He has taken the market by storm in his first year bytaking almost 1% of UK market share of properties forsale, from a complete standstill and minimal marketingin the last 12 months. Having started the businessduring school, now worth £12m plus, he is dubbed bybusiness publications and worldwide media as “the newMark Zuckerberg” – as well as a “21st century icon” – inseveral awards won throughout the year.

He has a clear passion for property anddemocratising the way homes are sold in the UK, withthe lowest cost service and 14th largest estate agentsin the UK.

Paul SweeneyVP and GeneralManager, DAQRIInternationalPaul is the VP andGeneral Manager ofDAQRI International, anenterprise augmentedreality company drivingthe future of work.

Paul directs day-to-day operations ofDAQRI International

headquarters in Dublin, and also drives internationalalliances and channel activities with DAQRI’s growingeco-system network. He has 20 years of internationalexperience in leadership in the high tech sector,spanning technical and commercial fields. Paul holds afirst class honours degree and a PhD in ElectronicEngineering (1999).

Dr Steven TurnerEnterprise SolutionArchitect, Amazon WebServicesSteve has a specialinterest in machinelearning, artificialintelligence, and deeplearning.He helps enterprise

and startup customersacross a variety ofsectors including

fintech, travel and transport, retail and media, buildhighly scalable, flexible and resilient cloud architectures.

Before AWS, Steve spent nine years in the ITnetworking and application performance industry. Heheld a CTO position for a Cambridge-based ITOptimisation Consultancy and was a Senior TechnicalArchitect Consultant for a global Systems Integrator.

Steve has a PhD for the use of Artificial Intelligence inHigh-Performance Computing from the University ofSunderland. He also has a BSc (Hons) in ComputerScience from the University of Warwick, and an MSc inNetwork Systems from the University of Sunderland.

Nell WatsonEngineer, Educator, andTech PhilosopherNell Watson FBCS, FIAP,FRSA, FLS, FRSS, CITP isan engineer, educator,and tech philosopherwho grew up inNorthern Ireland

Nell founded Poikos(now QuantaCorp). Thisoriginal, patentedtechnology enables fast

and simple 3D body measurement from only two planes(front and side), using a simple cellphone camera, byapplying sophisticated deep learning technologies. Thisservice enables fast and accurate personalization servicesin telemedicine, mass customization, and retail.

Today, Nell educates others in how to implement suchtechnologies, for example, by creating video coursebooksfor O’Reilly.

She is also Co-Founder of EthicsNet, a non-profitbuilding a movement of people who are committed tohelp machines understand humans better. Thiscommunity acts as role models and guardians to raisekind AI, by providing virtual experiences and collectingexamples of pro-social practices.

Nell lectures globally on Machine Intelligence, AIphilosophy, Human-Machine relations, and the Future ofHuman Society, serving on the Faculty of AI & Robotics atSingularity University.

Wallace PoulterBorn in Exeter in Devon,Wallace Poulter ran forpresident of the studentunion at ExeterUniversity when he was2 years old - it was,unsurprisingly, in all thepapers - and it has beenall downhill since then.Raised in the North-East,Poulter was one of thepioneering class of

graduates of the National Computing Centre's pilotprogram to accelerate computer programmers intoindustry. That and an interest in gaming led to LucasArts,Sega, Atari Midway and others as an award winningdesigner, producer and executive producer beforeturning to developer relations and business developmentwith Apple and other hi-tech firms. Most recently theDirector of Strategic Insight at Magic Leap, Poulter is nowa consultant in the Immersive space.

16��

Continues on page 22

17��

18��

Through immersive teaching and learning experiences,DreamSpace at Microsoft Ireland will inspire students

and teachers to see how technology can enhance education in exciting new ways, helping them to realise the full potential of what they can achieve.

For more information visit DreamSpace.ie

Games Development

Software Engineering

Cyber Security & Networking Infrastructure

Cloud & Application Development

www.belfastmet.ac.uk

Careers

19��

Hall 1D09.50am • The XR Landscape: Extend Your Reality

Nigel McAlpine • Immersive Lab Lead, Digital Catapult NI

10.00am • Wallace PoulterFormer Director of Strategic Insight at Magic Leap

10.30am • Case Study Using Quill, the VR Illustration and Animation Tool Built by Oculus/FacebookLaura Livingstone • Head of Production, NTropic

11.00am • Driving the Future: Shifting gears with VR hazard perception testsLiam Ferris • Kainos

11.30am • Microsoft

12.00pm • AR in the Enterprise: the Future of WorkPaul Sweeney • VP and GM, Daqri International

12.30pm • Panel Discussion • Designing for Mixed Reality - Hardware, Software & BewareChair: Nigel McAlpine, Digital Catapult NI

Panelists: Carley Morrow, CEO, AppAttic • Kevin Beimers, Director Italic PigLaura Livingstone, Head of Production NTropic • Luke McNeice, Innovation Lead at Kainos

1pm • Panel Discussion • Building a Cyber Resilient CultureChair: Mia Boom-Ibes, VP Security Innovation, Strategy and Analytics, Allstate

Panelists:Keith Lippert, VP & Deputy Chief Information Security Officer, AllstateSimon Whittaker, Cyber Security Director, Vertical Structure Ltd

David Crozier, CSIT's Head of Strategic Partnerships & Engagement

1.30pm • Giancarlo Di Vece, President, Unosquare

1.40pm • Beyond The HypeWhere AI Is Impacting Today And What Are The Challenges We Face?

Introduction by Austin Tanney, Head of Life Science & Healthcare, Analytics Engines

1.55pm • Joanna Holbrook • Head of Omics Integration, BenevolentAI

2.15pm • Bridging the Cognitive Technology Skills GapKathryn Harkin, AI Lead, Allstate

2.35pm • Betting on Artificial Intelligence • Jason BellMachine Learning Engineer, Mastodon C/Algorithmic Automation

2.55pm • BOTter than the real thing • Building a better survey with chatbotsSimon McLoughlin • Mobile Lead, Innovation Exchange, IBM

3.15pm • Dr Sankha Mukherjee • Anyvision

3.35pm • Dr. Steven Turner • Enterprise Solutions Architect, AWS

3.55pm • Jordan McDonald • Integrating AI Systems: Bridging multiple state of the art toolsSoftware Engineer, Kainos

The Programme • Thursday May 3rd 2018

Registration 08.30am • Tea and Coffee

Hall 1D9.00am • Welcome • Tom Gray, CTO, Kainos and BelTech Curator

9.05am • Official Opening • Lord Mayor of Belfast, Nuala McAllister9.15am • Keynote : Designing Services in the Cognitive Era • Peter Fossick

Hall 2B09.50am • Engineering High Value for Human ImpactAislinn McBride • Kainos • David Anderson • Liberty IT

10.20am • Human Design In Our TechnologyRachel Gawley • CTO, AppAttic

10.40am • Designing The Developer ExperienceRick Monro • Principal UX Architect, Puppet

11.00am • Designing ‘BBC’s Pandemic Experiment’Stephen Shaw • UX Director, Big Motive

11.20am • Understanding Technology Strategy with Wardley MapsWill Hamill • Kainos

11.40am • Serverless AI – The Search for AnswersGillian McCann • Liberty IT

12.00pm • Serverless In Action • Mark Allan

12.20pm • Crypto Kitties – A Decentralised Marketplace for Digital AssetsMarty Bell • Principal Software Architect, Rakuten Blockchain Lab

12.40pm • The Revolution Will Be Plagiarised: Language trends in 2018 and onward • Eamon Boyle • Instil

1.00pm • Evolving Architecture and Big Data / AnalyticsEmma Pollock • Citi

1:20pm • Security in the Age of Open SourceÖmer Demirok • Black Duck

1:40pm • 10 Stupid Reasons You're Avoiding Free SoftwareJonathan McDowell

2.00pm • Open for BusinessMultidisciplinary Collaboration through Open Technology

Phil Weir • Flax and Teal

2.20pm • Creativity and the 4th Industrial RevolutionJessica Caldwell • Catalyst Inc

2.40pm • Startups and Innovation with Users at the CentreKevin Donaghy • Audit Comply

In conversation with ... Damian Cranney Big Motive

3.00pm • Human Centered Design of Public ServicesConnecting the online to the offlineRebecca Walsh • NI Innovation Lab

3.20pm • Panel Discussion • So What?Co-Chairs: Aislinn McBride • David Anderson

Panelists: Rececca Walsh • Emma Pollock • Marty Bell

4.15pm • Closing Keynote • Cryptomics – A Smarter, Kinder, and Trustworthy Way to Build a Better World. • Nell Watson, Entrepreneur & Engineer

6.00pm • Design and the Human Side of Tech. Panel Discussion & Public Debate on DesignA fireside chat featuring a panel of local technology leaders. This conversation will explore the challenges

we all face in creating digital products and services. We will discuss the role that design needs to play in relation to technology to create products that can transform our experience and make an impact on the world.

Chair: Tom Gray, Kainos • Panelists: • Damian Cranney, Big Motive. • Peter Gourley, Head of Digital Channels, Danske BankSeamus Cushley, Director EMEA, Blockchain, Fintech & Digital, PwC • Deepa Mann-Kler, Founder & CEO, Neon • Rick Monro, Principal UX Architect, Puppet

Brendan O’Donovan – Group Data Marketing Director, Hays Digital Technology

End of the Day20

What progress will you make?And technology is taking us further than ever before. We are accelerating the design and delivery of digitalsolutions that transform global finance, anticipate consumer trends and strengthen our cyber securitydefenses. FinTech is key to Citi making the right decisions at the right time - for clients, for employees, andfor the business.

TECHNOLOGYOur team sees Citi as a technology company with a banking license. And it’s no wonder, when their workinvolves robotics, AI, biometrics, virtual reality, and new trading platforms. Join us and you will hone youragile development skills, program in the latest languages, develop a “cloud-first” mentality, and ultimatelyhelp maintain a network that moves trillions of dollars a day.Join City and develop skills for global leadership with training and experiential learning opportunities in aninclusive culture of fairness.

careers.citi.com

Hall 2B9.00am - 09.30am • Registration

Tea and Coffee with the Exhibitors

9.40am • Welcome • Gemma Crothers, Conference Host

9.45am • How To Avoid Being Replaced By A RobotMark Nagurski • Co Founder MakeMatic

10.00am • Keynote • Overcoming Barriers In Business Akshay Ruparelia, Managing Director & Founder, Doorsteps

10.25am • Real Life Career Advice • Victoria McCallum

10:40am • Demo • Microsoft

11.00am • Søren Rode AndreasenChief Digital Officer, Danske bank

11:15am Break

11:40am • Northern Ireland Robotics League"A tribute to skills through competition” • Ulster University, Jordanstown

12.00pm • Chatbortunity – The Future is ConversationalKelly Moore & Mary-Jane McBride, Kainos

12.20pm • Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency • Seamus Cushley, PwC

Lunch • 12.40pm

1.30pm • Dragons Den - Developers of the Future Dragons: Helen Norris, Kernel Capital • Søren Rode, CDO Danske Bank

Akshay Ruparelia, MD Doorsteps • Aisling McGibbon, PwC

2.15pm • Raffle

2.20pm • Dragons Den - Developers of the Future • Winners Announced

2.30pm • End of the Day

Continues from page 16

David AndersonDirector of Technology,Liberty IT

David has over 20 years’experience in buildingsoftware systems acrossmany domains andtechnologies.

As Director ofTechnology with Liberty IT,working on many LibertyMutual key systems, Davidhas exposure to a wide

range of technologies and techniques coveringArchitecture, UX, Dev, Test, DevOps, Analytics & Cyber-Security. A life-long programmer, David brings deeptechnical knowledge along with strong collaboration andteamwork skills to deliver business value. Since 1997,Liberty IT has created complex world class IT solutionsexclusively for Fortune 100 U.S. parent company, LibertyMutual Insurance, developing a wide range of enterprisescale, Customer Focused solutions which leverage cloudtechnologies, agile engineering and disciplined practiceto enable highly dynamic business needs. SoftwareDevelopment is a critical component of digitaltransformation.

Tom GrayHead of Digital Catapult N.ITom is a 25-year tech veteranand in addition to beingHead of Digital Catapult NI, isCTO & Director of Innovationat Kainos Group plc.

Tom Gray graduatedfrom Queen’s UniversityBelfast, holds a BSc. inComputer Science, and hasstudied InnovationManagement at MIT Sloan.

Tom has been the driving force behind many of Kainos’most innovative and successful customer and staffinitiatives, including HealthHackEU, Kainos AppCamp,CodeCamp and Code4Derry. He founded and curates thecontent for the annual BelTech conference, which has a

strong focus on emerging digital technology. Tom is amember of the Board of the Northern Ireland

Science Panel – MATRIX – and is Deputy-Chair of theMATRIX ICT panel. Tom is a member of the CCEARegulatory Advisory Panel. He is Chairman of the UlsterUniversity Industrial Liaison Board, and is a member ofthe Industry Board of Manchester Connected Health. Tomis past-Chair of the IET in Northern Ireland.

Nigel McAlpineImmersive Lab Lead,Digital Catapult NI

After 20 years at theBBC, leading teams toproduce unique digitalprojects across web, TVand radio Nigel set upStoryFX, a creativeconsultancy bringingstories to life with thelatest digital platforms.

While at the BBC, hedeveloped a wide range of innovative content andapplications to launch on bbc.co.uk and at live outsidebroadcasts, to give the audience a brand new digitalexperience.

With StoryFX, he is focusing on virtual and augmentedreality and immersive storytelling and his aim is topartner with key industry expertise to exploit the latesttechnology to produce stunning visuals.

His new role at Digital Catapult as Immersive Lab Leadmeans he is engaging with a range of SMEs, industrystakeholders and individuals to highlight the potential ofimmersive technology in driving innovative businessopportunities in Northern Ireland, by showcasing thecutting edge technology available at the Digital CatapultImmersive Lab.

Nigel is also facilitating an Invest NI lead CollaborativeGrowth Programme on the immersive technologylandscape in Northern Ireland and its potential.

Aislinn McBrideHead of Engineering,Kainos Evolve

Aislinn is an experienceddeveloper and architectwith 10 plus yearsexperience leadingKainos developmentprojects.

She works across arange of technologiesand deliveryapproaches. Her passion

is keeping it simple and working with teams to buildsolutions that solve real business problems. She ispassionate about the tools and techniques that allowteams to deliver at pace with the highest levels of quality.

Dr Austin TanneyHead of Life Science &Healthcare, Analytics Engines

Austin helps clients inthe pharmaceutical,biotech, diagnostics andhealthcare sectorsderive value from theirdata.Austin completed hisPhD in biomedicalscience in the University

of Ulster and has a career path that spans startups andmultinationals from lab science to bioinformatics throughto product management and commercialisation.Austin has a passion for new technology and its impactson our society.

Honourary Chairs

The Programme • Friday May 4th 2018

22

Manager of

THE BANK OF IRELAND KERNEL CAPITAL GROWTH FUNDS

87Companies received

our investment2002-2017

1,300

£60M

RoI & NI in 2018

23 7

20%+

90+ £12M

in 2017

Award-winning digital services and platforms that change the way the world lives and works.

Find out more at kainos.com

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