The ethical minefield of Government Innovation

Join us on June 19

It's imperative for governments to embrace innovation while upholding ethical standards and accountability. This in-person event, in partnership with techUK and TechNExt is your opportunity to delve into the strategies, best practices and case studies that showcase how responsible innovation can drive positive change in government.

On Wednesday, June 19 join Matt Simons, Public Sector Director from Thoughtworks and Heather Cover-Kus, Head of Central Government from techUK as they delve into:

Strategies to approach innovation that strikes a balance between benefit and risks
Successful implementations of responsible innovation in the public sector
Tools and frameworks for fostering a culture of responsible innovation
How the government can set take the lead in responsible innovation in order to rebuild citizen trust
The role of suppliers as partners in responsible government innovation

After the presentation there will be a workshop session, where attendees will have a chance to put responsible innovation and the tools and frameworks into practice.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to explore the transformative potential of responsible innovation in the public sector.

Agenda

June 19, 2024

6:00 - 6:30

Arrival

6:30 - 7:00

The ethical minefield of Government Innovation

Matt Simons, Public Sector Director, Thoughtworks and Heather Cover-Kus, Head of Central Government, TechUK

7:00 - 7:30

Responsible innovation tools workshop

Event location

Thoughtworks Newcastle office,
78 Grey St, Newcastle upon Tyne,
NE1 6AF

Wednesday, June 19 | 6 - 7:30pm BST

Meet our speakers

Heather Cover-Kus

Head of Central Government, techUK

Heather is the Head of Central Government Programme at techUK, working to represent the technology sector supplying to Central Government. She encourages effective market engagement between suppliers and buyers and is a big advocate for appropriate and meaningful social value in public procurement.

Prior to joining techUK in April 2022, Heather worked in the Economic Policy and Small States Section at the Commonwealth Secretariat. She led the organisation’s FinTech programme and worked to create an enabling environment for developing countries to take advantage of the socio-economic benefits of FinTech.

Matt Simons

Public Sector Director, Thoughtworks

Matt has been a part of the Thoughtworks journey for the last 24 years, starting his Thoughtworks career as a project manager and now the Public Sector Director, leading the UK Public Sector business.

Matt is a senior technology leader with global experience building high-performing organisations and teams. He is a specialist in the execution of digital strategies within enterprises under challenging conditions.

Matt is passionate about using tech for good, to support Thoughtworks mission to make social and economic justice an integral part of our business and social model.

Gabe Fender

Principal Consultant: Product & Design, Thoughtworks

At Thoughtworks, Gabe helps clients de-risk launching new products to market, transform operations platforms and coach teams and individuals in agile product development.

Gabe believes design is a key capability of digital businesses which is why he is passionate about helping organisations shift to be user-centred and value-driven with product and design thinking. He has seen that the most successful teams have a user-centred culture and strong collaboration between product, design and engineering.