Digital Britain Summit – Equipping Britain for a digital future

Valerie | 17 Apr 2009, 08:58

Leading thinkers in the Digital Economy are gathering at The Digital Britain Summit today at the British Library to debate how best to equip Britain for a digital future.

The event will give stakeholders an opportunity to listen and debate the interim report’s recommendations and ensure all views are considered before the final report is published in the summer.

Speakers including telecoms CEOs Ian Livingstone, Neil Berkett and Ronan Dunne, technophile Stephen Fry, Universal Music’s Lucian Grainge, Johannes B. Larcher from Hulu, Hirouki Hishinuma from the Japanese Government and Will Hutton, Chief Executive of the Work Foundation, will join 250 industry leaders to address how to secure Britain’s place at the forefront of the global digital economy.

Culture Secretary Andy Burnham, Business Secretary Peter Mandelson, Sly Bailey (Chief Executive, Trinity Mirror) and John Fingleton (Chief Executive, Office of Fair Trading) will deliver keynote speeches.

Key issues to be discussed today in the four panel sessions include:

• Preparing for tomorrow’s digital networks today: looking at infrastructure issues that will determine the UK’s readiness to fully exploit the dramatic shift to digital technology

• The New Digital Arms Race: different approaches around the globe to achieving a successful digital economy

• Joining the dots between creativity and digital content: matching technical innovation with the development of business models that enable content creators to flourish on these new platforms

• Equipping our society for the digital future: ensuring that the benefits and advantages of the digital economy are available to all

You can watch the Digital Britain event live and follow the debate via the Digital Britain summit live blog and submit comments as well as questions for the speakers and panel at the Digital Britain Forum website.

You can also follow proceedings via the Digital Britain twitter feed or tweet questions to @digitalbritain.