AI in Surrey 2025 – What a Day!

At Surrey Chambers of Commerce, we’re still buzzing from last Thursday’s AI in Surrey – Tech Summit, held at the fantastic Shilling Building at Royal Holloway, University of London.

In partnership with INV Group, FluidOne (Camberley office) and Royal Holloway, we brought together 145 delegates from across Surrey and beyond to explore the fast-moving world of AI in business – and what we all need to do to keep up.

This was no ordinary tech event. From the moment our guests arrived, the energy in the room was electric – full of conversations, curiosity, and a genuine appetite to understand how AI is already shaping the way we work, think and grow.

Top takeaways from the day:

• AI is here – and it’s happening now. Businesses of all sizes need to start understanding and implementing it today.
• Future skills matter. And not just technical ones – leadership, ethics, adaptability and critical thinking are all part of the picture.
• Collaboration is key. The real breakthroughs come when business, academia and tech innovators come together.

The day included:

• Inspiring keynotes from Professors Alan Brown and Chris Watkins, followed by industry insights from Russell Horton, Himanshu Sahni, Billy Clackers, and Jürgen Adam.
• A lively panel session, expertly compered by Paul Zimmerman (INV Group), where all of our speakers were joined by Tessa Bartley from Charles Russell Speechlys, who gave a valuable legal perspective on the future of AI.
• Two fast-paced and fascinating speed pitches from emerging startups: Jonathan McCallum (Catalyst AI) and Noah Santoni (WhatAIdea).
• A buzzing networking lunch, kindly sponsored by Jesse Harfield at FluidOne – great food and even better conversation!
• And a brilliant post-lunch tour of Royal Holloway’s cutting-edge Omnidrone facility, giving delegates a glimpse into some seriously exciting drone technology being developed right here in Surrey.

Huge thanks to:

• Paul Scott at Royal Holloway for hosting us in such a stunning venue and for all the behind-the-scenes support.
• All of our speakers, partners, and attendees – your enthusiasm and input made the day so impactful.

 What people said:

🗣️ “The best event of the year so far!”
🗣️ “Thought-provoking, inspiring and full of energy.”
🗣️ “I left with a notebook full of ideas – and some great new connections.”

So, what’s next?

This is just the beginning. We’re already working on AI in Surrey 2026 – and we’re aiming to go even deeper next year, with more hands-on insight, more practical takeaways, and even more opportunities to connect and collaborate.

With our particular focus on skills through our Local Skills Improvement Plan across Surrey and Hampshire we will be bringing businesses and providers back to collaborate on what skills need to be introduced to keep up with this AI revolution.

Thank you to everyone who joined us and made this such a success. Let’s keep the momentum going. The future’s moving fast – and we are ready.