Electech 2026 Brings the Region’s Tech Innovators Together

Despite the heavy rain on 26 February, more than 100 professionals from across Lancashire and Cumbria’s electech and electronics sectors made their way to the University of Cumbria’s Lancaster campus for the Electech Innovation Cluster Annual Conference 2026 — a clear sign of the energy and momentum behind the region’s growing electech ecosystem.

Hosted by Dr Rebecca Robinson, the conference brought together industry leaders, educators and innovators for a day of insight, collaboration and discussion on the future of the sector.

The day opened with a keynote from Chris Mayne, Managing Director of Teleplan Forsberg and Co-Founder of the Electech Innovation Cluster, followed by an engaging audience Q&A that set the tone for the day.

Sessions throughout the conference explored key themes shaping the sector, including skills, emerging technologies and ecosystem development. Highlights included a panel on future-proofing the workforce, chaired by Kate Houlden (Like Technologies) with contributions from Allan Rennie (Lancaster University), Sarah Hall (Blackpool and Fylde College) and Kerry Harrison (Lancashire Digital Skills).

Delegates also heard from Professor Neil Reeves (Lancaster University) on health technologies, while Professor Steve Hodges (Lancaster University and former Microsoft Research) shared insights into emerging technology innovation.

Dan Knowles, (Founder of Northern Reach) presented on the importance of building an ecosystem mindset to strengthen collaboration across industry, education and research, while Dr Zoe Detko (Ardea Eco-Innovation) explored approaches to building on existing sustainability initiatives within the sector.

The conference concluded with a fireside chat on the future of electech, with Dan Knowles interviewing Rob Young, Chief Scientist and Founder of Quantum Base, sparking lively discussion about the opportunities ahead for the region’s rapidly evolving cluster.

The Electech Innovation Cluster Conference continues to strengthen connections across the North West’s electech ecosystem, bringing together businesses, educators and innovators who are helping shape the future of the sector.

Many thanks to Helen Brady, Dr Rebecca Robinson and Kath Bell for another flawless conference – are you ready for Electech 27?