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Netherlands meets the North – uniting data experts at the Northernlands Summit in Leeds

ODI Leeds

The Netherlands meets the Northernlands on Thursday 2 May at a one-day summit hosted by ODI Leeds as part of both the Leeds Digital Festival and Leeds International Festival.

The Northernlands Data and Startup Summit is a collaboration between ODI Leeds and the Dutch government to forge new links between the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the North of England. It explores ‘the art of the possible’ provide a ‘glimpse of the future’ and amplify the links between us.

Dutch Ambassador Simon Smits will be speaking at the event, before meeting up with Lord Mayor of Leeds, Cllr Graham Latty.

The summit will bring together the people who are creating the data economy to explore the diversity, untapped value, and potential for innovation, and is being seen by the Embassy and ODI Leeds on behalf of its sponsors as an important step towards strengthening the connection between the two countries, sharing experiences and creating links to support each other, collaborate and do business.


The diverse line-up includes Stian Westlake, former Policy Advisor to the Minister of State for Science and Innovation, poet Mr Gee, artist Akeelah Bertram and Jeni Tennison, CEO of the Open Data Institute. Dutch speakers include Valerie Frissen, CEO of SIDN Fund which supports projects that contribute to building a strong internet for all, and one of the most ‘Inspiring 50’ women in tech in the Netherlands, and John Sinteur, co-founder of Radically Open Security, the world’s first non-profit computer security company.

The event features everyone from artists and activists to policy makers, strategists and data scientist, and has been generously supported by the Dutch Embassy, which is keen to connect with innovators in the North of England. The choice of venue confirms Leeds as one of the foremost digital cities in the UK.

The idea for the event came about when the Dutch Embassy visited ODI Leeds as part of their mission to make connections with the North of England last year, and to pave the way for the countries to work together, linking data innovators in the North of England with their counterparts in the Netherlands.

Considered one of the most wired countries in the world, the Netherlands is a hotspot for technology and data innovation, with world-class R&D facilities and home to global giants including Microsoft, Cisco, Verizon and Google, as well as renowned gaming companies such as Guerrilla Games, Perfect World and Kixeye.

Leeds is becoming known as the ‘Data City’, and is an important part of the Northern Powerhouse – which comprises the great cities of The North – Liverpool, Manchester, Bradford, Sheffield, Leeds, Hull & Newcastle.

Leeds is also known for its digital strengths, with an impressive record of innovating with data and a robust digital sector comprising creative media, data analytics, FinTech, telecoms, health and education technologies and more. The city has a digital tech business turnover of over £1 billion* in 2017 (*Tech Nation report 2018), and is home to success stories such as NHS Digital, RockStar Games and Cooperative Innovations, making it a natural location for the event.

Paul Connell, Founder of ODI Leeds, says

“We are thrilled to be hosting Northernlands, and for our city to be chosen as a partner by the Dutch Embassy, as the Netherlands also has a thriving tech scene.

“The Netherlands and the UK have a strong political and economic partnership, but the possibility of Brexit has brought our trading environment into sharp focus. Collaborating beyond national borders and operating globally is more important than ever, and the UK and the Netherlands are both at the forefront of digital innovation and have a great deal in common.

“We need to actively build connections with other countries, and ODI Leeds is specifically keen on collaborating with nations that are innovative with data, and so we are delighted to be able to deliver this summit together with our Dutch partners. Northernlands brings together some of the most inspiring speakers and exciting innovators in the data landscape, and at the same time is helping to create positive international relationships, encouraging the exchange of ideas and knowledge and fostering collaboration.

“We all have something to gain from innovation with data but we can all do something to contribute as well. The summit will generate conversations and create real actions and we hope that this event will be a great success and the first step towards working more closely with the Netherlands in the future.”

Simon Smits, the Dutch Ambassador, says

“We are very much looking forward to this event, that underlines for us the growing economic strength of the North of England, especially in data innovation.

“The Netherlands is a strong believer in the role of open data to stimulate new economic activities and growth. The Netherlands and the UK are both top countries in Europe in the Digital Economy and Society Index. We have a high quality, ubiquitous digital infrastructure which boosts our growth of the digital economy and society.

“We believe that the activities here in the North, and Leeds in particular, are showing the same potential for the Northern Economy. We are therefore very happy to be part of this Summit and to work together with ODI Leeds to build a connection between the Netherlands and the North of England for a better digital economy for both of us.”

Lord Mayor of Leeds, Cllr Graham Latty, said:

“I am looking forward to welcoming the Dutch Ambassador to the UK, Simon Smits to Leeds, as part of a new initiative to encourage closer cooperation between the Netherlands and the North of England.

“This start-up summit will offer the opportunity to showcase our city to those businesses working in the Netherlands’ digital and tech sector, and also very importantly provides a platform on which we can build positive relationships through shared learning and ideas.”

The summit will begin at 9.00am and end at 4.30pm, with key sessions being live streamed. They will be available to view during or after the event at (link)

The afternoon will offer the chance to participate in demonstrations and workshops and learn about everything from data visualisation, ethics, innovation, AI machine learning and more, with sessions led by Superflux, Amazon Web Services, Open Data Manchester, Leeds Urban Sustainable Development Labs, Citizens and Data and more. Full listings are being updated regularly on our website where you can also watch a live stream of the event.Dan Cookson, Fusion Data Science, Leeds Urban Sustainable Development Labs, Superflux and more, including sessions on Trust and Ethics, Citizens and Data
About Leeds Digital Festival

Leeds Digital Festival is the largest digital festival in the North and runs from 23 April to 3 May. It is an open platform event which means any individual or company can take part.