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Review: AI CityXchange Workshop - Sunderland, UK
Sunderland AI CityXchange Workshop
AI CityXchange is SmartCitiesWorld’s dedicated platform for AI in cities, combining our content with a programme of city-led events and workshops. Our workshops bring together local government leaders, practitioners and industry experts, creating a collaborative environment to explore real urban challenges, share proven approaches and build capability through hands-on learning.
The Sunderland edition of AI CityXchange will spotlight the city’s journey in applying AI within local government. Participants will gain insight into Sunderland City Council’s approach to responsible innovation, including the frameworks, partnerships, and operational practices that have enabled progress. The workshop will also highlight the role of regional collaboration across the North East of England in supporting effective, scalable AI adoption.
A core feature of the workshop is its hothousing approach – bringing attendees together to surface ideas, overcome shared challenges, and co-develop practical solutions. Drawing on the experiences of neighbouring authorities and peer cities, the event accelerates problem-solving around issues that matter most to local communities.
Designed with the host authority to ensure accessibility and local relevance, AI CityXchange Sunderland offers two tailored streams – Foundations and Scaling & Innovation. As a closed-room event, authorities can be open about what’s working, what’s not, and where further support is needed, encouraging the sharing of best practice and solutions to pressing challenges.
Registration has closed for this event - review other locations
Insights from the workshop: perspectives from participants
Overall highlights from the first AI CityXchange workshops.
Marion Ingleby, Head of Digital at Durham County Council, provides her key takeaways from the first AI CityXchange workshop.
Robin Denton, Director, Local Public Services at Microsoft UK, gives his thoughts on the first AI CityXchange workshop, reflecting on key lessons and how cities can use AI to improve their operational, social, and economic situations.
Daniel Simms, CIO at North Tyneside Council, reflects on his time at the first AI CityXchange workshop, including his key learnings and a message for those looking to host a workshop themselves.
Key themes
Stories that support AI investment for cities and regions
- Exploring how to make the business case for AI adoption and justify AI investment to political leaders, finance teams, and the public. The workshop will look at how cities can evidence value, from service improvements to resilience and workforce support.
Deepening a city operations approach to AI
- Embedding AI into day-to-day local government operations rather than standalone pilots. Here, the workshop will examine how AI can support core functions such as asset management, customer services, planning, and workforce productivity.
Developing a regional approach to AI adoption
- How cities, combined authorities, and regional partners can collaborate on AI strategy and delivery. The workshop will explore shared data, common platforms, skills development, and governance models that work at a regional scale.
Schedule: Wednesday 11 March 2026
| 10.00: | Welcome, introductions, expectations |
| 10.20: | City inspiration |
| 10.45: | Developing a regional strategic approach to AI |
| 11.15: | Developing a city-operational approach to AI - locating yourself on a sliding scale of readiness |
12.00:
| AI use case scenarios
|
| 13.00: | LUNCH & NETWORKING with other cities/regions |
14.00:
| Roundtable discussions
|
| 15.00: | Roundtable feedback |
| 15.45: | Reflections |
| 16.00: | Summaries of the day |
| 16.15: | Drinks reception and inter-city networking |
Scene Setter
Name: Liz St Louis
Title: Director of Smart Cities
Organisation: Sunderland City Council
Biography:
Liz is the Director for Smart Cities at Sunderland City Council. A dynamic, highly motivated and experienced leader with over 30 years’ experience, Liz has driven transformation programmes and digital and data initiatives throughout her career and has a passion for person centred user design and ensuring digital and data enables transformational change that makes a real and measurable difference.
Leading the delivery of the Smart City Programme for Sunderland, Liz is responsible for driving forward city-wide investment in next generation digital infrastructure and use cases that will make a transformational difference across a city landscape.
Scene Setter
Name: Paul Wilson
Title: Chair, Advisory Board
Organisation: SmartCitiesWorld
Biography:
Paul is chair of the Advisory Board for SmartCitiesWorld. Read by 1.5m people worldwide, SmartCitiesWorld provides daily news coverage and weekly features about the fast-changing world of urban innovation. Paul is also Senior Advisor at Open Agile Smart Cities with 170 city members and an honorary Research Fellow at the University of Bristol’s Smart Internet Lab. Until recently Paul was Chief Business Officer, Connected Places Catapult, the UK’s innovation accelerator for cities, transport, and place leadership.
Panelist
Name: Kayla Vondy
Title: Project Manager - AI
Organisation: Liverpool City Region Combined Authority
Biography:
Kayla Vondy is a Project Manager specialising in artificial intelligence at the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, where she plays a key role in shaping and delivering the region’s emerging AI programme. With over a decade of experience across technical leadership, data science, and business development, Kayla brings a multidisciplinary approach to designing innovative solutions for complex societal and organisational challenges.
At LCRCA, Kayla works closely with local researchers, businesses, and public sector partners to identify AI‑driven opportunities that enhance accessibility, inclusion, and quality of life for residents and visitors. She is instrumental in developing collaborative structures and documentation that support the region’s long‑term AI strategy, ensuring that the priorities of diverse sectors are understood and reflected in programme design.
Panelist
Name: Stephen Hext
Title: Senior Specialist - Corporate Data Mobility
Organisation: Newcastle City Council
Biography:
Stephen leads Newcastle City Council’s Infrastructure for Insight and AI Readiness programmes, driving strategic data capability and responsible AI innovation across the organisation. His work focuses on harnessing data and technology to enable the council to be data-driven and evidence-led. With a strong background in technology and cross-functional collaboration, Stephen is committed to improving corporate data maturity, enabling effective use of AI, and aligning data infrastructure with public service priorities to deliver better outcomes for communities.
Panelist
Name: Jamie Hardesty
Title: Tech and Ai Advisor
Organisation: North East Combined Authority
Biography:
In a bespoke role as the Authority's Technology & AI Advisor, Jamie takes up the short-term, full-time position that will help steer AIGZ strategy.
By March 2026, Jamie plans to deliver a strategic report defining the North East’s AI prowess, the purpose/ambition of the AI Growth Zone for the region to get behind, and most crucially the recommendations to make it real.
His work will be split into four key stages, spanning Discovery, Engagement, Design and Delivery.
Panelist
Name: Marion Ingleby
Title: Head of Digital
Organisation: Durham County Council
Biography:
To follow
Panelist
Name: Daniel Simms
Title: Chief Information Officer
Organisation: North Tyneside Council
Biography:
To follow
Moderator
Name: Luke Antoniou
Title: Senior Editor
Organisation: SmartCitiesWorld
Biography:
Luke has been reporting on the implementation of smart technologies that benefit citizens and the public sector since 2017.
He has a particularly keen interest in smart and sustainable mobility and its role in influencing the decisions of urban planners, citizens and governments alike.
As rapid urbanisation continues, he keeps his finger on the pulse of the myriad urban challenges facing local and central governments, making new connections in the public and private sectors and finding new angles from which to cover the latest smart city developments around the world.
Voices in the Room (some that are already confirmed)
- Director of Smart Cities, Sunderland City Council
- Head of Digital, Durham County Council
- Transformation Programme Manager, City of York Council
- Head of Digital and ICT, South Tyneside Council
- Senior Project Development Manager, Durham County Council
- Chief Information Officer, North Tyneside Council
- Group Manager of Business Growth, Glasgow City Council
- Economic Advisor, Newcastle Council
- Head of Strategy, Blackpool City Council
- Head of Innovation, Thames Freeport
- Director of Regional & Territorial Development, Durham County Council
- ICT Relationship Officer, Sunderland City Council
- ICT Strategic Business Partner, North Tyneside Council
- Digital Delivery Manager (Infrastructure), Tees Valley Combined Authority
- Digital Delivery Manager (Infrastructure), Tees Valley Combined Authority
- Project Manager, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority
- Senior Lead, DA & VAWG, Sunderland City Council
- Head of Technology & Transformation, North East Combined Authority
- Chief Innovation and Growth Officer, Sunderland City Council
- IT Services Director, Gateshead Council
- Made Smarter Programme Advisor, South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority
- Housing ICT and Digital Manager, Gateshead Council
- Chief Technology Officer, Sunderland City Council
- Space Application Engineer, European Space Agency
- Transformation and Innovation Manager, North Yorkshire Council
- Communications and Content Lead, Smart Dublin
- AI Lab Team, Smart Dublin
- Strategic Services Manager - IT Services, Gateshead Council
- Tech and Ai Advisor, North East Combined Authority
- Director of Transformation, Innovation and Strategy, Together for Children, Sunderland
- Business Development Lead, University of Sunderland
- CEO, Urban Foresight
- Head of Policy, SSC/UKTCG
- Manager, LGIU
- Assessor, Sunderland College
- amongst others
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