Learning from History: Reflections on the past and future of the British IT Industry

17 February 2022 at the BCS London and Online

14.00 for 14.30 at 25 Copthall Ave, London EC2R 7BP

AIT will present at a meeting of the The Computer Conservation Society; a specialist group of the BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT. The CCS is the world’s largest individual member organisation devoted to the study and promotion of the history of IT. It runs a programme of monthly talks, publishes a quarterly magazine called Resurrection as well as supporting a wide range of projects on historic computers.

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Tech is perhaps the most important and least understood industrial success story of the last 250 years. IT, communications, and the internet have transformed our way of life over seven decades, becoming central to almost every social and economic activity: yet the industry does not have a good public image and struggles to recruit the creative, skilled, and diverse workforce it needs.

Speakers will look at what can be learned from the past, with a particular emphasis on the people and conditions that enabled the industry to get to where it is now. We will look at how social and organisational issues are illuminated by the oral history collected by the AIT (and recollections of attendees). Looking to the future, a brief review of factors that have influenced the past will prepare the ground for a discussion led by a panel, of diverse disciplines, background and experience, on critical success factors and actions for the future. Amongst the issues, we expect that continuing to engage the brightest and best talent will emerge as a priority; perhaps through greater clarity about opportunity, diversity and equality in IT.

Learn about the scope of oral and documentary history contained in the Archives of IT,
- Social, industrial, policy, and economic factors influencing the development of Tech
- The UK as an environment for creating Tech enterprises in information, communication and the internet, social media, and game development
- Whether we have learned from this history of innovation
Identify what factors are now critical to the future of an increasingly global industry
Debate whether and what action is needed to ensure we address them.

Programme

14:00 Networking
14:30 Introduction and scene setting – Doron Swade, CCS Chair
14:35 The Archives of IT and their content – exemplified by experiences from the archive of starting and growing new enterprises – Director of AIT – Dr Tom Abram – inc Q&A
15:00 Post-war Britain and the Tech Revolution – themes from the archives 1950’s pioneers of the industry – Dr Sam Blaxland – University of Swansea, Dept of History inc Q&A
15:30 “Question Time” panel and audience discussion: “What have we learned? Are the challenges of the future different from the past?” Chaired by John Carrington – Pioneer of mobile telecoms and Chair of Trustees AIT
- Setting the scene – A review of challenges for the industry – John Carrington
- Panel
  - John Higgins, President BCS
  - Stephanie Bazeley Games Industry startup member at Team Junkfish
  - Pamela Cook – Infoshare startup entrepreneur
  - Prof Tom Crick – University of Swansea – Professor of Digital Education & Policy
  - Beverly Clarke – National Community Manager Computing at School, BCS
- 16:15 Summing up and what next – John Carrington
- 16:25 Thanks – from the Chair