In 2019, we hosted Northernlands, bringing together over 25 innovative speakers from across the UK and the Netherlands to showcase the radically open ideas that are changing and shaping the future. A second event was always going to happen but the coronavirus pandemic forced us to rethink how we could still create and host an event with the same impact as the first. It presented an opportunity to be equally radical in the design and delivery of an online event.

With Northernlands 2, we want to try to recreate the excited buzz and electric atmosphere of a conference but from the comfort of homes, sheds, parks, etc, around the world. 'Video call fatigue' is a real challenge so we are thinking of ways to keep the content as fresh and engaging as possible, with opportunities for questions and interactivity. We also know that people's time will be stretched in different ways, whether that is making time for home-schooling or taking that essential outside mental-health break. So we will be scheduling the talks in smaller, more accessible sessions, and live-streaming so that people can dip-in-and-dip-out as their own schedule permits.

It is hard to look beyond the current coronavirus pandemic (and all the challenges and changes that come with it) to the future, or even to the other pressing issues of our time like the Climate Emergency. We want Northernlands 2 to showcase the great work that is still happening across so many sectors that is making a difference now, and that can lay the foundations for a version of the future that is more radically open and more radically innovative.

Monday 6 July

Open Data Saves Lives

The coronavirus outbreak has highlighted the need for accessible and openly available data that can not only help respond swiftly to public health crises but can positively impact wellbeing and future health.

Responsible Data Collaboration

What can we do to facilitate better and more prolific data collaboration? How do we ensure that data collaboration is done for the benefit of the many and not the few?

Tuesday 7 July

Mobility in Modern Cities

The lockdown in many cities has forced people to rethink how they move about their neighbourhoods, their cities, and more. What does the future look like for mobility in the dense places and will they still be connected to the sparse places?

Social Interaction in a Distanced World

Working from home was always an option but wasn't really embraced by the majority of the office-bound workforce. Has that changed? What affect will working from home have on ourselves, our environments, etc?