UK Digital Economy Conference 2026

techUK brings its annual digital economy conference to Manchester for a full day on devolution: what mayors, combined authorities and regional leaders can actually do with technology, and who holds the levers. The agenda runs from an opening keynote at 10:05 through sessions on digital infrastructure as economic infrastructure, digital devolution and empowering regions, future jobs and an AI-enabled workforce, AI adoption in devolved and regional economies, and reindustrialisation. There is a fireside chat before lunch and a networking lunch at 12:25. Speakers were not named on the page when we checked. Free for techUK members and public sector attendees. Non-members need to email flagshipevents@techuk.org to ask for a ticket. Why go: this kind of policy room usually happens in London, and this one is in Manchester with the people who actually set regional digital strategy in it. Best for anyone whose work touches public sector tech, regional growth or skills funding.