You, like us, will be only too aware of the fast-developing situation with regards to the COVID-19 pandemic. The safety and wellbeing of our attendees and staff is our priority and, with this in mind, we’re sorry to announce that the BAE Systems Naval Ships Codeathon is postponed until further notice. We know that you value these face-to-face networking opportunities, however, we must follow the latest advice issued by the UK government.

A new date has not yet been confirmed but as soon as a new date is announced we will be in touch. Please be assured that we are committed to the Codeathon and we are hoping to hold the event this year.

It is a challenging time for everyone and we want you to know we are doing all we can to support our staff and our network of businesses across the UK and further afield. In the meantime, please keep an eye out for future opportunities to network online using different tools and new platforms. You can find our latest ‘online events’ listing here.

Thank you for your support and understanding.

 About the Codeathon

The Royal Navy is on the front line of innovation and is pushing for the integration of new technologies and digitisation of its fleet to prepare for the future operating environment. BAE Systems Naval Ships would like to welcome you to their complimentary (free to participate) codeathon to explore the art of the possible and obtain a grounded understanding on the value of this sector to you when given access to ship command and control platforms and data sets.  When there is no limit on your imagination, no wrong path to follow, where everything on the table is there to be pulled apart and manipulated, there can only be winners at the end of the process.

The Software Development Kit (SDK) and data sets will be made available in advance of the activity and potential team leaders with “initial ideas” will be actively encouraged to come forward.  This event will inspire you to think big, operate unrestrained and never see a boundary to what could be possible. 

As is the tradition, prizes will be awarded for ideas and thinking that has stood out.

Codeathon Objectives.

• To give delegates a vision on where the commercial opportunities lie on this emerging and open sector and a sense of empowerment that they could own that opportunity.
• To allow the discerning coding community to have direct access to the BAE Systems Naval Ships Software Development Kit (SDK) and wider data sets (open or otherwise) to create literally anything they feel could and should be created. 
• This codeathon is NOT looking to create polished and operating solutions within the 2 days of coding and credit will be given to concept thinking and frameworks that could be explored in time.
• To create an energised dialogue between commercial B2B operators and a vibrant “ideas factory” between R&D centres and industrial partners centred around open ship system platforms. 
• To inspire new players in the Royal Navy space from the ground up and from other sectors outside of the maritime sector. 
• To create excitement that the UK boundary of capability can be pushed forward with all the major “tier 1” contractors and not just BAE Systems Naval Ships.  
• This event is NOT aiming to create direct relationships between BAE Systems Naval Ships and the delegates but moreover to allow you as delegates to be informed of a new sector and empowered from within your own neighbourhood to “make hay” with all the practitioners in this area. 

Who should attend?

Ambitious strategy decision makers keen to apply and network in an emerging arena, curious code developers and application creators under the mind-set that there is no wrong sector and keen to collaborate and share ideas.  The delegate mix will be from (but not limited to) multiple backgrounds including FinTech, automation and control, AR/VR actuators, PropTech, app/data platform manipulation and software development, city data analysts & platform developers,  quantum computing, user interface design, gamification, diagnosis and machine learning etc.

Programme outline

Day 0: Evening Reception – Executive Sector Insight and Technical Briefing.

• The evening reception is for all and a collective activity including the coders and their technical team supervisors through to the organisational senior management 
• The evening reception will directly benefit and inform senior company management/strategy owners and executive decision makers coupled with faculty Directors and Deans within the UK R&D centres.
• As such there will be industry insights from senior BAE Systems Naval Ships officials and their stakeholders alongside a technical briefing on the SDK and data sets.
• The technical briefing will be a critical steer for all strategy-oriented delegates as well as the technical coding practitioners. To this end, the event organisers would strongly suggest that this reception and networking activity is a fundamental to attend.

Day 1&2: Coding Days

• The 2 days of coding will be the realm of the coding community and their technical team leaders.
• Regular sessions will be scheduled for team updates and inter-team idea sharing 

Benefits of attending

• Be briefed on the emerging Maritime market opportunity for dynamic SME’s and R&D centres that have traditionally operated outside of this sector.
• Get immersed in a primary defence contractor SDK and inspire yourself and others on where these systems could be expanded into. 
• Meet new collaborators in new sectors to explore mutually beneficial opportunities
• Be prepared to take your ideas beyond the event in an unrestrained and free to operate environment. 
• Secure friends, collaborators, customers and markets for the start of the journey and not just the event. 

Registration: Interested parties are requested to register their interest here and you will be notified by KTN if a place has been made available to you. Venue details will only be given to those who are offered a place at this event.