The symposium aims to gather a fundamental understanding of the status and gaps in SME digital transformation within the West Midlands.

The objectives of the symposium are to identify the factors that impede inclusivity in the digital transformation of SMEs and to propose policies aimed at stakeholders, such as local governments, SMEs, and HEAs, to foster inclusivity in the digital ecosystem.

Organisers: Dr Nadia Asghar, Dr Samia Mahmood and Dr Kayvan Kousha, University of Wolverhampton, Business School.

Programme

The event will consist of talks and panel discussions:

10:00 – 10:10 Welcome and introductions

10:10 – 10:45 Setting the scene – sharing some relevant research

Dr Samia Mahmood – Exploring the Adoption of Digitalisation in UK SMEs: Analysing Gender, Ethnicity, and Geographical Leadership Variations
Dr Kayvan Kousha –ChatGPT in Action: What AI Chatbots Can and Can't Do for Your Business

10:45 – 11:30 Panel Discussion

Professor Javed Hussain (Professor of SME Financing, Birmingham City University, UK)
Professor Robyn Owen (Professor of Entrepreneurial Finance, Middlesex University, UK)
Ms Neo Chatyoka (CEO and Founder of Uhuru Botanicals Ltd, a natural skin and hair care brand)
Dr Lorelei Gherman (Knowledge Transfer Manager - Advanced Manufacturing, Innovate UK Business Connect)

11:30 – 12:00 Q&A

12:00 Event Close

The University of Wolverhampton will be video and audio recording and notetaking throughout the panel discussions and Q&A session for research purposes. You can choose to opt-in or opt-out of this research by signing the consent form.

CONSENT INFORMATION - PLEASE READ AND ACCEPT WHEN CHECKING OUT FOR YOUR TICKET.

If you are willing to participate, there will be a panel discussion with an opportunity for Q&A and participation from you and other audience. This will be audio and video-recorded, alongside detailed notetaking. The findings from this discussion will contribute to a research project and publication (e.g., academic reports and journal papers). Your name or that of the organisations you are associated with will not appear in any publication, and any data collected will be anonymised.

Please indicate by completing the consent form if you are happy for us to use your responses (any questions/comments in chat) for research purposes.

You can withdraw your consent at any time by sending an email to samiamahmood@wlv.ac.uk

Bridging Gaps, Building Futures: A Symposium