Leeds Digital’s Mini-Fest concluded last week, celebrating a city where tech innovation is creating high-value career pathways and cementing the region’s status as a premier global hub.
As the digital economy in the city expands 125% faster than the national average, hundreds of delegates gathered to see how Leeds is proactively solving society’s biggest challenges.
From deploying AI to promote online safety and prevent consumer harm to pioneering preventative health measures and robust cybersecurity defences, the ‘small but mighty’ three-day event served as a powerful showcase of technology being used as a force for good.
Serving as the official curtain raiser to the main Leeds Digital Festival in September, the Mini-Fest (21st–23rd April) highlighted the vital work being done to bridge the gap between education and employment.
With Leeds now home to over 9,000 digital companies, the event focused on ensuring that fresh talent and young people seeking work are seamlessly connected to the array of roles available in the city’s thriving tech businesses.
A key highlight was the flagship session, ‘Bridging the Tech Skills Gap: From Education to Employment’. Organised by Leeds Digital and chaired by PEXA UK, the panel brought together Leeds Beckett University, Leeds University Business School, Corecom Tech Academy, and Generation UK to strategise on preparing a Northern workforce for an AI-driven future.
Festival director Deb Hetherington, marking her first full year leading the event, noted the city’s transformation: “Leeds is now a formidable force in the data and AI space, a shift that is sparking the creation of entirely new career paths like machine learning engineering and AI ethics.
“This year’s Mini-Fest was curated to capture this energy, demonstrating how these emerging technologies are unlocking doors for Northern talent and building a resilient, high-growth economy that provides opportunities for everyone. This is a pivotal time for our city as we look toward a future defined by innovation.”
During the Mini-Fest, headline sponsor CGI, one of the largest independent IT and business consulting services firms in the world, spearheaded vital discussions on how tech can modify behaviour for the better, joined by experts from Gamstop and Skipton Building Society.
Marian Cafferty, Senior Vice President Consulting Services, CGI in the UK, said: “This year’s Mini-Fest was a powerful reminder of what makes Leeds unique – a collaborative, forward-thinking tech community focused on delivering real impact. CGI is proud to support and be part of that momentum.”
The festival is supported by CGI and platinum sponsor Skipton Group, working alongside a committed network that includes Accenture, Nexus and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
The industry now looks ahead to the full-scale Leeds Digital Festival, returning for its 11th successive year from 21st September to 2nd October 2026.