TechNExt, a five-day event celebrating running from June 16 to June 20, will feature curated showcases and community-led fringe events.
Now in its third year, the event is hosted by a partnership of North East businesses and stakeholders, led by Dynamo North East CIC and Sunderland Software City, working with BeaconHouse Events.
The 2025 programme has been shaped based on feedback from attendees in 2024, with a major change being the creation of ‘hubs’, where a range of events and sessions will be held at the same location each day.
This will allow people to attend more events throughout the week.
Organisers are calling for tech organisations in the region to support the festival by freeing up their teams to participate in the events and activities.
Details of the festival programme can be found at technext.co.uk, and people can help shape the event by proposing a session for one of the new TechNExt Hubs, or by submitting their tech events to the festival fringe.
The hubs will be curated around four themes: Data & AI, Sustainability, Immersive, and Tech Start-ups, and will be located across the region.
Dr David Dunn, CEO of Dynamo North East, said: “We’re delighted to launch our programme for TechNExt 2025, which promises to be a real celebration of the incredible tech businesses and teams we have in the North East, as well as a great platform to boost collaboration and support people to grow their skills and network.
“We have shaped a programme that is based on feedback from last year, and that responds to the fast-changing sector we’re showcasing.
“Technology is advancing all the time, and our goal is to ensure that TechNExt creates opportunities for people to stay ahead of that, to learn from each other and to advance the sector in the region.”
The festival is sponsored by two regionally headquartered tech firms, Leighton and Sage, who are returning sponsors for 2025.
Last year, more than 3,000 people attended TechNExt over the course of the five-day festival, including those working in tech businesses and tech and digital professionals working in business.
