In mid-November, I had the privilege to attend the 2019 Atlantic Technology Summit, a conference that takes place in the windy but beautiful East coast maritime city of Halifax, Nova Scotia.
I‘ll admit I was pleasantly surprised to find that I really enjoyed myself, I always assumed that conferences would be repetitive or boring but this whole Technology symposium experience turned out to be fantastic! I knew this was going to be a memorable experience when the conference was introduced by the Mayor of Halifax – Mike Savage. It was refreshing to see the local government investing time in the advancement of technology.
Morning Panels
The conference opened with panelist and speaker Namir Anani, President & CEO of Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC) who provided an overview of the Canadian Digital Economy.
This included: trends and technologies that are essential to provincial economic growth as well as other considerations at the forefront of tech advancement; such as our ability as a community to remain competitive and relevant within the international market. He concluded with a focused look at Atlantic Canada, and how our region can capitalize on these trends and opportunities.
The next presentation I attended was with Alexandra Russel, a consultant at Morneau Shepell briefing us about how technology is being used in healthcare to provide accessible professional support and service delivery through digital channels. A panel consisting of leaders from the public sector, private enterprise, start-up, and consulting worlds shared their views and tips on the importance of evolving through digital transformation and discussed how it can be seen as one of the most vital changes taking place in today’s high-tech business world.
The Morning Sessions concluded with a team from Network Test Labs who demonstrated the process of “hacking” a secure environment; this was done live in front of the audience. The most interesting part was when they highlighted the steps and vulnerabilities along the way.
The Afternoon Sessions
By the afternoon, there were still a handful of talks to attend. One I had been anticipating was the Women in Tech Panel which hosted a group of women who work in various leadership roles within the tech industry. This included representatives from Dalhousie University school of technology, as well as one male panelist; the Dean. The team discussed various challenges that women face in the Tech world one being that the industry is predominantly male-dominated, potential solutions for these challenges were also discussed.
There was also a developer’s panel that covered trends and challenges dev’s face on a regular basis. The panel articulated the ways in which career plans are affected by trend changes
Closing Statements and Lasting Impressions
The final session I attended was on blockchain technology where Mrugakshee palwe, Co-founder of Atlantic Blockchain Company Inc. gave a fascinating talk in which she highlighted the ways in which blockchain technology can solve issues in the world of finance. She also set out to debunk myths associated with this technology, concluding with the ways blockchain technology is currently impacting the Atlantic region.
The Session ended with CIPS presenting awards to local leaders and stand out organizations that showed excellence and leadership within the local tech sector. Categories for the awards included leadership, excellence, and education.
Overall the conference was a great opportunity to keep up with trending technologies within the Atlantic region. I also learned a valuable lesson, I realized that there are many ways to involve ourselves in the tech community, here in Halifax. I know the conference is over but I am really looking forward to attending and possibly participating in next year’s Atlantic tech summit.
What was your favorite panel or experience from this year’s Atlantic Tech Summit? Let us know!Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn
