The week, hour by hour.

Every mission starts with a why. We open the week by setting out what brings us together, what lies ahead, and why this is a defining moment for the county.

Our headline sponsor, SpaceAM, takes to the stage for the opening keynote of Gloucestershire Tech Week, bringing a fresh perspective to the ideas, opportunities and conversations shaping the week ahead.

Every company starts with someone willing to take the leap. These are honest, personal stories from technical experts who dared to build something of their own, and what it really took.

Gloucestershire has always looked to the skies. This conversation covers the ambition, setbacks and breakthroughs behind generations of flight, and what they can teach the innovators of tomorrow.

CyNam are proud to support this event at The Times and The Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival. Elisabeth Braw and Bojan Pancevski, in conversation with Julia Wheeler, on whether control of the deep sea is the next geopolitical frontline. Ticket includes VIP Networking Lounge access and afternoon tea from 12:00pm, with the talk at 2:00pm.

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Real progress rarely happens in isolation. This session explores what becomes possible when the county's strengths come together, and what that could mean for the places, people and communities that make up Gloucestershire.

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Lunch with a purpose. Bring the challenge you're grappling with, find the people ready to help solve it, and leave with new connections, not just new ideas.

Great ideas only matter if someone can make them real. This spotlight celebrates the makers turning world-class innovation into the things the world depends on.

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The next generation takes the mic. Young voices speak on ambition, technology and the future they want to build, for Gloucestershire, the UK and beyond.

A keynote on the history and development of one of the county's and the country's most remarkable institutions. Tracing the roots of British signals intelligence and how GCHQ came to shape the world of cyber and security we know today.

The future of technology isn't only found in labs and cities. This closing talk looks to the land itself, exploring how innovation can support sustainable farming, healthier landscapes and a more resilient rural economy.

There's a thriving local scale-up ecosystem, in particular in Cyber and Defence. As founders achieve traction and progress well past the start-up phase, many are heading towards a material fundraise or, eventually, an exit. Few are ready for either. This session brings together expert speakers from InfiniteCFO, Momentum Corporate Finance and Wiggin LLP to unpack what transaction readiness actually looks like, grounded in real deals rather than theory, and what's different about the crucial sectors of Cyber and Defence. 

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Violet and Partners have teamed up with CyNam once again for an exclusive edition of Cyber Made Human Live at Ocho Cotswolds. Following the success of last year's The Empathy Algorithm, the podcast returns to Gloucestershire Tech Week for a candid conversation exploring the human side of cyber and technology. Host Alice Violet is joined by Brian Lewis, CEO of Origin8tive. Places are deliberately limited, with invitations extended to leaders, founders and interesting voices from across the cyber and technology community.

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Three closely related ideas, too often conflated. Each carries a different weight in government, the boardroom and everyday life, and the distinctions matter more than they first appear. This opening session draws the lines between them and finds Gloucestershire's place on the map.

The distance between a distant flashpoint and a local balance sheet has never been shorter. This session follows the thread from an increasingly contested world to the technology we rely on, the economy we share and the businesses on our doorstep. It makes sense of a bigger picture that is closer to home than it seems.

With threats evolving and investment rising, the defence sector needs the speed, specialism and ingenuity that smaller firms do best. This session asks why SMEs have become so critical to national security, what still holds them back, and what the opening door means for businesses that never pictured themselves in the sector.

In collaboration with

A curated roundtable hosted in partnership with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade exploring a practical question: as world-class technology capability lands in the county, how do everyday businesses tap into it to grow and stay resilient? A focused conversation bringing together the businesses who could benefit, the experts who can help, and the partners shaping the county's future.

A new era of cryptography is already taking shape, and is redrawing the security landscape. This session explores what the shift demands of organisations, and why preparation cannot wait for the threat to arrive.

Some threats are new. Many are old tricks in new clothes. This session reads between the lines of the year's cyber incidents to reveal what is changing, what keeps recurring, and what it all signals for the year ahead.

Far above us, a largely unseen infrastructure keeps modern life running, and it is increasingly exposed. This spotlight turns to one of security's most remarkable frontiers, charting where it stands today and why its resilience is felt so close to home.

Everyone talks about cyber prevention, but this session is about what happens AFTER something goes wrong, told as a real-time story. We walk through a fictional but painfully realistic cyber incident hitting a Gloucestershire tech company, and at each stage ask: what would you do next? At each decision point the audience votes, and we reveal the legal and commercial consequences. Interactive, slightly nerve-wracking, and the whole point is that cyber resilience isn't just a technical issue, it's a legal, commercial and reputational one.

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Where does data actually live, who can reach it, and what happens when that access is suddenly withdrawn? Few questions in technology carry higher stakes. This session lays bare the risks and considerations businesses need to make.

While attention fixes on the most visible threats, identity remains the quiet weak point of cyber resilience. Through real-world examples, this session reveals how easily it is exploited, and the practical steps that keep it secure.

National security is not the preserve of government and the largest contractors. It belongs to businesses, universities, investors, educators and individuals alike. The day closes by drawing its threads together and asking the question that matters most: how does opportunity become action?

In collaboration with

Join Gloucestershire's community of Managed Service Providers (MSPs), IT Service Providers (ITSPs), and technology channel professionals for an evening of peer networking, knowledge sharing, and discussion hosted by The Tech Tribe. As part of Gloucestershire Tech Week, this special cyber-focused edition of The Tech Tribe Gloucester Meetup will feature guest speakers exploring current cyber security challenges and opportunities facing technology businesses, alongside our regular roundtable session where attendees can share experiences, insights, and practical advice with industry peers. This is an opportunity to connect with like-minded professionals from across Gloucestershire and the surrounding region in an informal and collaborative environment.

"I'm not technical enough for cyber security." "I'm too old to start my career again." "I want to change careers after having children." "I'd love to move into…" If any of these sound familiar, this fringe event hosted by Origin8tive is for you. Separate ticket required.

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Entrepreneurship is too often seen as the domain of startup founders. In truth, it thrives in lecture halls, community groups, government departments and global corporations alike. This session explores what it really means to think and act entrepreneurial, wherever you happen to work.

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Awareness is growing, but action is lagging behind. This session moves past the buzzwords to ask the honest questions, and to explore what neuroinclusion really looks like in practice.

Innovation is often spoken of as a destination. This session is about the journey: the cultural shifts, the methods and the messy realities of daring to do things differently.

Drawing on the neuroscience of how people work, communicate and perform together, this session reveals what sets the best teams apart, and the lessons any organisation can put to work.

Social value is now a core expectation, yet the gap between intent and delivery remains wide. Often dismissed as complex or only for large organisations, it is far more achievable than it seems. This session shows how to make it part of everyday work, whatever your size.

The questions are set by the CyNam community, and the answers come from the panel and the audience. The day closes with a lively, topical debate where every voice in the room has a stake.

Dr Tommaso Spinelli, AI Advisor at Zaizi, opens proceedings, setting the scene for a day spent examining the technology reshaping how we live and work.

No technology arrives in a vacuum, and AI is no exception. It is being built inside existing systems of power and politics, shaped by them and increasingly reshaping them in return. This session examines that two-way relationship and what it means for who holds influence in the years ahead.

An in-person practical introduction to Microsoft Copilot for charities that want to save time and work more efficiently. No experience needed, and nothing to buy. The session covers what is actually changing in AI versus hype, what Copilot is across the Microsoft ecosystem, real charity use cases, hands-on practice, and practical next steps for safe, responsible adoption. Led by Graham Hoskings, Senior AI Business Solutions Engineer at Microsoft. Organised by Tech4Good South West.

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AI is moving faster than the defences built around it. This candid conversation explores what it takes to keep AI systems secure and the new risks the technology brings with it. It gets past the hype to where the real vulnerabilities lie and what organisations should be doing about them.

More and more of the world's code is now written by AI, and a blind spot is growing alongside it. This session looks for the vulnerabilities hiding in plain sight and asks what developers and organisations must do before they surface.

AI is transforming the way tech companies contract, from auto-generated terms of service to AI-powered procurement tools and algorithmic pricing. But the law hasn't caught up, and the risks are real. This session cuts through the hype with practical, no-jargon guidance on the commercial and contractual issues every tech business needs to get right, including who owns what AI creates and how to handle IP when your product trains on or generates content.

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For all the talk of risk, AI is already changing lives for the better, and some of the best examples are right here. This fireside chat shares local stories of technology put to genuinely good use, and what they reveal about the difference AI can make when applied with care.

Some of the most promising uses of AI are being pioneered on our doorstep. This spotlight shines a light on the research and ideas pushing the technology forward, and what they could mean for the world around us.

In the rush to adopt AI, some questions are too easily skipped. From the impact on people and jobs to the environmental cost, this session confronts the ethical considerations no organisation can afford to overlook, and explores what thoughtful adoption really looks like.

A hands-on workshop on the new way to build with AI. Describe what you want, and watch it come to life, no deep coding background required. A practical, roll-your-sleeves-up session exploring how AI is opening up web app creation to everyone, and how far you can take it.

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It is easy to cast AI as something that happens to the workforce. In reality, people decide how it is built, adopted and used. This session turns the story around, exploring what that means for the skills we need and the careers of tomorrow.

Ainga Pillai, Founder and CEO of Zaizi, draws the day's threads together and looks to what comes next.

Three short tech talks from Gloucestershire AI companies exploring what the future looks like with AI in products, what is possible now that wasn't two years ago, and the risks to be aware of. Chaired by Prof Gaven Smith, with talks from Simon Smith (Ripjar), James Campbell (Nimbus) and Mark Adams (TrustGraph), followed by the chance to network with the speakers.

A partner event hosted by Plexal exploring what AI sovereignty means as strategic competition reshapes the global technology landscape. Separate ticket required.

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A high-energy, hands-on introduction to the world of tech and cyber for young people. There's a special focus on opening doors for those who too often don't see themselves in it.

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A light-hearted but genuinely practical countdown of the ten most common ways founders accidentally give away control of, or sink, their own company. Inspired by the film How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, we flip the script to show founders what NOT to do. Each step is delivered with a real-world story (anonymised) and a one-line takeaway the audience can act on immediately. The session ends with a quick-fire audience quiz: Would you lose your company? with a small prize for the best score.

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