The University of Warwick brought together industry partners, businesses and technology specialists on 14 April 2026 for Tech Fest 2026, showcasing how creative technology is shaping the future of digital innovation, gaming and content creation.
Held in the University's Fusion CreaTech Lab, the event showcased how advances in technology are reshaping the creative industries, from the way content is produced to how it is experienced by audiences. Through live demonstrations, interactive showcases and networking opportunities, attendees explored developments in areas including digital production, immersive storytelling and game design.
A central feature of the day was the University's newly upgraded Fusion Lab, demonstrating Warwick's investment in cutting-edge facilities for creative technology.
Mick McLaughlin, Business Development Manager at the University of Warwick, said: "Fusion Tech Fest 2026 was about bringing together industry, innovation, academia and student creativity in one space. The upgraded Fusion Lab gave us the ability to showcase cutting-edge gaming and performance technology while creating opportunities for students to engage directly with companies shaping the future of CreaTech, digital media and creative technology."
Visitors explored the Fusion Lab's capabilities first-hand, from high-performance computing and advanced gaming environments to user experience testing. Interactive elements, including racing simulators and console gaming, offered a practical insight into how technologies are developed, tested and refined.
Leading organisations including AMD, Blackmagic Design, NVIDIA, Zowie, Wired2Fire, Google for Education, Canva and Centre for Entertainment Arts contributed to the programme, demonstrating the strength of collaboration between industry and academia in driving innovation forward.
Melissa Cauldwell, Channel Marketing Manager, AMD, whose processors and graphics hardware power the new systems, said: "We're excited to see the University of Warwick building high-performance sports and a CreaTech technology environment using AMD Ryzen processors and Radeon graphics.
"Initiatives like Fusion Tech Fest, help inspire the next generation of engineers, developers and creators by giving them hands-on access to the technology driving modern gaming and high-performance computing."
Tech Fest 2026 highlighted the growing convergence of technology and creativity at Warwick, and the University's role in connecting talent, research and industry to support innovation in the CreaTech sector. The event also created opportunities for collaboration between industry, academia and students, helping to support future skills development and partnerships.
The event was delivered as part of CreaTech Frontiers, an AHRC (UKRI)-funded programme supporting innovation across the West Midlands' creative industries.
