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techUK will hold series of weekly webinars discussing the world in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It may be difficult to look beyond the constant overflow of coronavirus news filling our TV screens and social media feeds these days, but the pandemic will come to an end and the world will return to what’s likely to be a new normal.

But what is that new normal? What does it mean for the people, for our economy, our society, our planet? What have we learnt and what do we still need to learn to adapt to the changes and challenges of the not-so-distant future? And what role will technology play in this new normal?

These are just some of the questions we’ll seek to address in a series of webinars that we are launching this week, looking at the future of work, supply chains, intergovernmental negotiations, public sector services, data use, skills and many more.

Thought leaders, industry leaders and public policy experts will get together every week to have a conversation with us – with you – on the likely outcomes and ways forward after the public health crisis would have subsided.

Ultimately, it doesn’t take huge premonition to know that the world after a global pandemic will not be the same. Technology has helped with every aspect of this crisis so far – from the tech products and services used by the frontline public health professionals to the infrastructure that’s supporting remote work and schooling and the data fed into the apps helping track the spread of the virus, #tech4good stories have been plentiful.

Yet, it is also fair to estimate that screen time will drop when lockdown measures are eased. If given a choice, a lot of us will prefer meeting their friends over calling them. And some of us may even miss seeing colleagues in an office! The new normal is still likely to include a lot of the old normal, simply due to our shared humanity.

Should you have any ideas, questions or suggestions about this project, do feel free to reach out to Sabina Ciofu.

We are looking for the broadest of participation and points of view to make the conversations meaningful and the result informative and impactful. Far from pretending to be able to offer solutions to what’s likely to be the most complicated public policy jigsaw in a generation, we believe that bringing bright minds together will breed good ideas for the future.