The event at the Utilita Bowl on November 7 featured a range of speakers covering diverse topics, including the future of work, AI, and economic development.
Pippa Crerar, political editor of the Guardian, addressed recent political events in her keynote speech.
Addressing leaders in the room, she said: “The government is desperate for growth and if you can offer it, they will want to work with you.”
Dame Wendy Hall, director of the Web Science Institute at the University of Southampton, highlighted Southampton’s potential as an AI city of excellence.
Dame Hall said: “I have been talking to the government about this and we have a major opportunity to make Southampton an AI City of Excellence and in time, we could scale it up to cover the whole region.
“We really want to be working with businesses in the room and Business South’s Action Groups to take this forward.”
Futurologist Dr Nicola Millard, principal innovation partner at BT, discussed the future of work, emphasising the importance of optimising productivity during the working day.
She also noted that research shows our brains can handle complex tasks for up to four hours daily.
The conference also spotlighted a project that helped 242 people find work, saving an estimated £28 million for the public purse.
The scheme, which cost £233,000, was calculated by the University of Portsmouth.
The project was presented by Wayne Layton, executive head of regeneration, economic development, and preventative services at Havant Borough Council.
Andrew Carter, CEO of Centre for Cities, provided a national perspective on what makes a city successful, comparing Southampton, Portsmouth, and Bournemouth with other major UK cities.
The conference also featured updates from Business South’s Action Groups and the launch of two new groups: Sustainable South and Energy and Utilities South Action Group.
Sustainable South, led by Kamile Nesteckyte and Dan Walster from Atkins Realis, aims to build on existing foundations, while the Energy and Utilities South Action Group, launched by Shaun Stevens, UK GM of EPS Water, focuses on infrastructure issues related to energy, highlighting the region’s potential to lead the UK in solar power.
