CyberFest expands across North East with secure AI focus

CyberNorth will hold CyberFest across the North East in October. Now in its ninth year, the festival has grown into a national gathering for the UK cyber sector.

The programme includes the CyberFest Community Conference, the CyberNorth Awards and a series of afternoon sessions exploring links between cyber security and sectors including space, defence, AI, energy and advanced manufacturing.

CyberFest is organised by CyberNorth, a membership community focused on cyber security, AI, data and quantum technologies in the North East. More than 1,000 people attended CyberFest events last year.

The festival is intended to bring together businesses, innovators, government bodies and specialist clusters from across the UK. This year, it will place particular emphasis on secure AI, reflecting the region's ambition to strengthen its position in that field.

At the centre of the programme is the CyberFest Community Conference, which will bring together members of the North East cyber sector with businesses, public sector organisations and specialist groups from elsewhere in the UK and overseas.

Speakers include representatives from the National Cyber Security Centre, CFC Insurance and Information Security for London. The agenda will cover topics including data, cyber resilience, the dark web and the wider threat environment.

A separate panel on cyber and AI will feature speakers from the Department for Work & Pensions and Tombola. The discussion will examine security culture and the growing links between cyber security and artificial intelligence.

Regional focus

The afternoon sessions will examine the role of cyber security in adjacent industries important to the region. Topics include protecting offshore energy infrastructure, securing AI development, safeguarding digital manufacturing systems and preparing for future defence threats.

The month-long programme will also highlight cross-sector collaboration in the North East. The region has sought to build a stronger profile in digital industries by linking cyber expertise with broader industrial strengths.

Jon Holden, Chief Executive Officer of CyberNorth, said the festival had developed beyond its local roots.

He said: "CyberFest is about bringing the UK's cyber community to the North East and showing the country what this region can do. What started as a regional festival has grown into a national platform, bringing together businesses, government, innovators and industry leaders to connect, collaborate and create new opportunities."

The awards programme is another part of the festival, recognising people and organisations in the region's cyber and AI sector. It includes six categories, among them Rising Star and Outstanding Cyber Professional, with two additional categories for micro businesses and international activity.

Judges include representatives from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Barclays, Northstar Ventures, TLT and the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority. The awards are open to CyberNorth members and affiliates.

Secure AI

Secure AI will be a central theme throughout the festival. That focus reflects wider debate in the UK over how regions can attract AI investment while maintaining cyber safeguards around data, systems and infrastructure.

For the North East, the issue is tied to efforts to establish itself as a destination for AI development as well as cyber expertise. The programme is expected to examine how security considerations affect that ambition across public and private sector organisations.

Holden said the relationship between AI growth and cyber security would be a key issue for the region.

He said: "The North East has a huge opportunity to lead in secure AI and technology, but growth and security have to go hand in hand. CyberFest gives us a chance to put the region's talent, businesses and innovation centre stage, while bringing the conversations that matter most directly into the North East."

The event also serves as a regional showcase at a time when local technology groups are competing to attract talent, investment and commercial partnerships. By bringing together organisations from different sectors, CyberNorth aims to raise the profile of the North East within the broader UK cyber market.

That ambition is reflected in the festival's wider messaging, which emphasises opening the region to national networks and creating commercial links. Alongside conference sessions and awards, the month-long format gives organisers multiple opportunities to connect cyber specialists with other industries where digital risks have become more significant.

Holden said the festival was intended to turn those links into business outcomes for the region.

He said: "CyberFest is about showcasing and celebrating the North East - we are helping to put the North East on the national stage, opening the region's doors to the UK's cyber and technology community and turning connections into real opportunities. CyberNorth's ambition is to attract new business, investment and talent to the region, forge partnerships across the UK and beyond, and showcase the North East as a leading destination for cyber, secure AI and technology innovation. We have incredible businesses, brilliant people, world-class expertise and huge opportunities in front of us. CyberFest gives us a chance to bring all of that together and show the rest of the UK what is happening here."