Date: 5 March 2025
Venue: Belfast City Hall – The Great Hall
Time: 9.30am – 2.30pm
Cost: Free – Register
Register for the Belfast 5G Innovation Region Showcase event and find out how 5G can support your business.
5G connectivity is powering digital technologies such as IoT, automation, AI, robotics and immersive technologies which are driving innovation and economic growth across many industries including advanced manufacturing, transport and logistics, creative industries, and public services.
The Belfast 5G Innovation Region (5GIR) programme, led by Belfast City Council’s City Innovation Office, has been working with local businesses and organisations to deliver a range of innovative 5G projects in the Belfast region.
Event attendees will:
- Gain insights and learnings from local 5G use cases in the transport and logistics, creative industries, tourism, construction and advanced manufacturing sectors – being delivered by Belfast Harbour, Queen’s University Belfast’s Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre, Ulster University and Studio Ulster, Translink, Stena Line, Manfreight, Retinize, BT and Belfast City Council.
- Better understand the benefits and applications of 5G.
- Get practical advice on how to adopt 5G in their business.
- Get access to a new 5G Adoption Toolkit for businesses.
- Find out about 5G funding opportunities, resources and support.
- Connect with the 5G ecosystem including representatives from the telecoms industry, business support organisations, government and academia.
Registration
Agenda
9.30am – 10am
Registration, networking and tea/coffee
Visit our exhibition stands.
10am – 10.15am
Welcome by Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Micky Murray
10.15am – 10.25am
Belfast 5G Innovation Region programme overview
Mark McCann, City Innovation Manager, Belfast City Council
10.25 – 10.45am
How 5G is driving innovation and economic growth
Gary Trotman, Head of Technology Propositions, Digital Catapult
10.45am – 11.25am
Discussion panel: 5G Transport and logistics
Featuring 5G use cases in port operations, bulk cargo operations, smart logistics hubs and trailer yards, and public transport. Panellists include Laura O’Neill, Digital Transformation Manager at Belfast Harbour, Stephen Petticrew, Operations Manager at Stena Line and James Duke, Digital Lead at logistics company Manfreight. Chaired by James Noakes, City Innovation Broker at Belfast City Council.
11.25am – 12noon
Discussion panel: 5G Creative industries and tourism
Featuring 5G use cases in virtual screen and game production, and the new AR Visitor Experience in Belfast City Hall. Panellists include Frank Lyons, Associate Dean of Research and Innovation at Ulster University, Jack Morrow, Co-founder and CTO at Retinize, Brenda Murphy, City Innovation Broker at Belfast City Council, and Andy Gower, Senior Manager, Research, Interactive and Immersive Content at BT. Chaired by Nigel McAlpine, Immersive Technology Lead at Digital Catapult.
12noon – 1pm
Lunch and networking
Visit our exhibition stands.
1pm – 1.30pm
Discussion panel: 5G Advanced manufacturing and construction
Featuring 5G use cases to support the construction of Queen’s University Belfast’s Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre and the translation of 5G-powered digital technologies, such as drones and robotics, to the advanced manufacturing sector. Panellists include Dominic Mullins, Technical Lead Digitalisation at Queen’s University Belfast’s Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre. Chaired by Roddy O’Flaherty, Digital Innovation Officer, Antrim and Newtownabbey Council.
1.30pm – 2pm
Discussion panel: Building a sustainable 5G ecosystem in Northern Ireland
Panellists include Mark Huddleston, Joint CEO at Makers Alliance, Patricia O’Hagan, Matrix NI Panel member, Gary Trotman, Head of Technology Propositions at Digital Catapult, and Derek McDonald, Principal Architect, 5G & IoT Solutions at BT. Chaired by Mark McCann, City Innovation Manager at Belfast City Council.
2pm – 2.10pm
UK Future Network Programme
Keith Bullock, Programme Director, Future Network Programme, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
2.10pm – 2.20pm
5G funding competition
2.20pm – 2.30pm
Closing remarks
Mark McCann, City Innovation Manager, Belfast City Council