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After delivering a talk on AI and sustainability at Codegarden in June, I nipped back to Denmark last week to spend some time with the merry band of volunteers from the digital industry that make up the Umbraco Community Sustainability Team.

There are some new faces on the team - you can meet them here - along with some old ones, but our mission remains the same: lend our expertise to help reduce the carbon emissions of Umbraco, and raise awareness of digital sustainability generally!

Why are you doing this?

Our mission at aer studios is to deliver meaningful digital experiences that have a positive impact on people and planet.

Umbraco is an open-source CMS. We all benefit from open-source software, and contributing my time to initiatives like this is a way of giving back. It’s also rather important to move towards a more sustainable world to avoid a hellish future, AND there is a positive association between sustainable digital technology and better commercial outcomes!

I also get to work with a bunch of really interesting people with a range of experience when it comes to this stuff, and bring it back to aer studios and our clients.

Everybody wins.

What is the visit?

Umbraco HQ is based in the lovely city of Odense, Denmark, and once a year HQ brings all the Community Team volunteers together for 2 days of planning, collaboration and team building.

Normally we get together once a month online, so being able to work together in person is really valuable.

What were the highlights of this year?

Outside of the usual activities you’d expect (reviewing last year’s work, prioritising initiatives and working on them), a theme of previous years is understanding what other organisations do in the sustainability space, outside of the digital industry.

This year, we visited Kompan, a global manufacturer of children’s playground equipment.

They’re doing quite remarkable things in the sustainability space, including manufacturing significant chunks of their products with up to 95% post-consumer recycled materials. We got ‘hands on’ with some incredibly strong materials made from plastic bags and thrown-away clothes - really remarkable.

How is this applicable to digital sustainability? It’s not. What is relevant, though, is how they have gone about a) making this a priority for their business and b) communicating the work they’ve been doing.

A real challenge with digital sustainability is making people care enough about it to act, and we had some really interesting discussions with them on how they’ve approached that. Interestingly, their team did not realise that websites / digital have a carbon impact - so everybody learnt something!

We’re big fans of this kind of cross-pollination of learning and information at aer - partly because we’re curious people, but also because our clients benefit from the wide range of organisations we work with. Even a childrens’ playground company, in this case, has some interesting approaches to communicating clearly that we can learn from.

What’s next?

We’ll continue having our monthly online get togethers, and we now again have a long list of things we want to achieve as a team over the next 12 months - ultimately working towards our goal of lowering carbon emissions.

In the meantime, if you want to learn more about digital sustainability and why it’s so important, please get in touch with us.

One of the highlights of the day was the workshop we ran called "SXSW UK IS BEING HOSTED WHERE?", where we explored why the South West—Bristol, Bath, and beyond—should be the true stage for creative tech innovation, rivalling London as the host for European SXSW in 2025.

The workshop gathered some of the brightest minds and leaders from the region’s creative tech industry, all eager to contribute ideas on how the South West can elevate its creative tech scene to the national and global spotlight. Using Aer Studios' proprietary UX&D method cards and worksheets, we guided participants through a series of thought-provoking discussions and even had live illustrator Ralph capture the essence of the conversation visually as it unfolded.

Sparking Inspiration: What3Words

We started with a rapid activity called What3Words that encouraged participants to describe Creative Tech in the South West using only three words.

We have created a word cloud that reveals a fascinating mix of perceptions and themes, setting the stage for a deeper exploration of the region’s potential.

The most common themes were Innovation, Collaboration, Diversity, and an Underdog Mentality, coupled with a sense of Heritage, Creativity, and Potential for Growth to take to the world stage as a global leader in Creative Tech. Organisations mentioned included were Pervasive Media Studio, Aardman, My World, BBC Natural History Unit and Bottle Yard Studios.

Activity Two: The Beetle

At the heart of the workshop was an activity we called The Beetle, where participants worked in teams to discuss and analyse the strengths, barriers, opportunities, and support needed for the South West’s creative tech sector to grow into a global leader. Using our beetle worksheet divided into four key sections, teams added their insights, sparking meaningful discussions on the region's unique qualities, challenges, and opportunities for innovation and growth.

Strengths: Harnessing the Power of Collaboration and Creativity

Across the board, participants felt that the South West, especially Bristol, stands out for its unique talent and diversity. The city’s laid-back atmosphere fosters a creative environment, while its productive stubbornness and contrarian spirit drive high levels of productivity and profitability. Bristol’s international reach was also recognized, with many feeling that the region should be focusing on global peers like Vancouver and Sydney, rather than constantly comparing itself to London. Collaboration was another standout theme. The South West’s ability to cross sectors and bring together people from different industries, supported by a distributed network of funding and leadership, was seen as a unique strength. Additionally, the region's authenticity, generosity, and rebellious spirit were celebrated as key characteristics that contribute to its creative identity. Participants also emphasised the importance of our world-class universities in Bristol and Bath, R&D facilities, and connected skills and resources in positioning the South West as a hub for creativity and innovation.

Barriers: Addressing Perception and Fragmentation

However, the workshop also revealed several barriers the South West must overcome. A common theme was the outdated perception of the region as parochial and old-fashioned, which could limit the region’s appeal to external clients and investors. Participants pointed out that while Bristol’s anti-authority mindset is part of its charm, it can hinder the region’s ability to scale and attract large investments.

Additionally, many highlighted the over-reliance on grants as a challenge to long-term growth, calling for more sustainable financial models.

The lack of a unified vision and leadership was a major concern. Without a central figure or group to drive the region’s strategy, efforts are diluted across a geographically dispersed area. This fragmentation also affects networking, with many participants feeling that while they are well-connected within their circles, the region lacks a single point of convergence for the entire community. Additionally, the region's lack of self-promotion and modesty was seen as a barrier to showcasing its capabilities and attracting attention from outside.

Opportunities: Tapping into Global Potential and Leadership

The discussions revealed several exciting opportunities for the South West. Many participants felt that the region’s location advantages, such as its strong transport links and proximity to major cities, could be leveraged more effectively. There was also enthusiasm for celebrating Bristol’s authenticity, rather than trying to emulate London, and competing more aggressively for talent, particularly from larger cities like Manchester and London.

One of the most exciting ideas was the potential to host a "Guerrilla South by Southwest" type of event showcasing the city’s energy and creativity on a global stage.

Participants also saw an opportunity to reframe leadership and vision, with the creation of a centralised leadership group or steering committee that could unify efforts and help attract major events like SXSW.

Additionally, participants emphasised the need to better connect companies with investors and streamline funding through focused investment channels. There was widespread support for appointing high-level ambassadors, particularly from the political sphere, to raise the region’s profile and advocate for its capabilities on the global stage. Lastly, participants highlighted the importance of tapping into untapped local talent to bring fresh ideas and energy to the sector.

Support Needed: Building Momentum for the Future

To fully realise its potential, the South West’s creative tech sector needs several forms of support. Increased financial backing was highlighted as essential, with participants calling for more investment to build momentum behind local initiatives. Engagement from larger tech employers was seen as crucial, with these companies being encouraged to play a more active role in engaging with schools, colleges, and universities to foster and inspire new talent. Participants also emphasised the need for local government support to drive improvements and help the sector grow. The idea of a clear brand and vision was seen as vital for galvanising support and effectively pitching for major events. Many groups highlighted the importance of advocacy and better promotion of the region’s strengths to enhance its visibility both nationally and globally.

Support for freelancers and cohesion across the sector was also a key point, with participants calling for a singular voice to advocate for the South West’s creative tech scene. The devolved administration was seen as an opportunity to scale the sector, with political alignment helping to drive growth. Finally, ensuring the legacy of initiatives like MyWorld and nurturing regional talent was considered essential for the long-term success of the South West’s creative tech industry.

Conclusion

This creative tech workshop sparked meaningful conversations and provided valuable insights into the strengths, challenges, and opportunities of the South West’s creative tech sector. With the right support, unified leadership, and focused vision, the region has the potential to grow into a global leader and perhaps one day become the stage for a prestigious event like SXSW.

We are excited to continue these conversations and work towards building a brighter future for creative tech in the South West supported by institutions like TechSpark, BCI, SetSquare, and WECA.

Our Head of Technology, James, recently visited Denmark as part of his volunteering efforts with open-source CMS, Umbraco.

I’m very fortunate in that there are lots of rewarding things about my job, and one of them is getting to take part in initiatives like the Umbraco Community Teams Visit.

It’s not all just fun, though - there’s a serious purpose behind my involvement, and that’s what I’m going to be talking about today.

What are Umbraco Community Teams?

Umbraco is an open-source content management system used by hundreds of thousands of organisations around the world, ranging from Government to non-profits to commercial companies.

While the CMS is open-source, it’s backed by a commercial organisation - ‘Umbraco HQ’ - who provide paid services wrapped around the core product.

One of the initiatives HQ have launched is the concept of Community Teams - bringing together people from HQ and experts from the digital industry to collaborate on improving Umbraco in several key areas.

I’m part of the Community Sustainability Team - and our focus is to reduce the carbon emissions of Umbraco and raise awareness of sustainability generally!

What is the visit?

Umbraco HQ is based in the lovely city of Odense, Denmark, and once a year HQ brings all the Community Team volunteers together for 2 days of planning, collaboration and team building.

Normally we get together once a month online, so being able to work together in person is really valuable. I’m fortunate to be in the Sustainability Team with some really interesting, knowledgeable people, and I’ve learnt a lot about digital sustainability by being able to work with my colleagues - and it’s even better in person!

What did we get up to this year?

We had a pretty packed agenda this year - and it was my first time having missed the year prior. The theme this year was ‘back to basics’ - considering people new to Umbraco and the community and making sure that their experience with the platform is as smooth and friendly as possible.

For us, that meant adjusting our work to ensure we are focused on making it as easy as possible for Umbraco users to be able to do the right thing by the planet, and lower carbon emissions.

We recapped on activities from the previous year, including building and launching an open-source sustainability package (plugin) for Umbraco that has had thousands of downloads, and discussed how we could continue to enhance it alongside our other work.

We’ve done all sorts of things from writing documentation, advising HQ on how they can improve the carbon footprint of their new umbraco.com site, and talking at a range of conference and on podcasts to spread the word about the important role the digital industry can play in lowering carbon emissions - and how Umbraco is leading the charge. It’s nice to look back on all these things - it’s a long list!

We spent some time visiting Energinet, Denmark’s national energy regulator, and learning about Denmark’s goal to become completely renewable powered in relatively few short years. They’re doing some fascinating work, and there are definitely parallels between what they’re up to - particularly the complexity of knitting different systems together - and what we in the digital industry do too. It’s always great to have an opportunity to learn from other industries and bring back some of the good stuff.

Alongside all the discussion and work, we also made time to bond not only as a team but also the wider group of community team members and the lovely folks from HQ.

Having worked in the digital industry for a while, I can honestly say that there isn’t a community quite like Umbraco. They’re a great bunch of welcoming, friendly people, including the HQ folks. It was a pleasure to spend some time with them - especially working towards such an important goal.

What’s next?

We’ll continue having our monthly get togethers, and we now have a long list of things we want to achieve as a team over the next 12 months - ultimately working towards our goal of lowering carbon emissions.

I’ll be sure to report back regularly on progress!

In the meantime, if you want to learn more about digital sustainability and why it’s so important, please get in touch with us at aer studios.

Aer Venture Studios will work with impact driven founders and their teams, bringing creative technology expertise and financial backing to progress their concept to MVP and launch. The Aer Venture Studios team have spotted a gap in the market to not only bring the financial backing that early stage ventures vitally need but combine this with the expertise required to develop the product to a launch-ready stage, as well as partnerships required for future investment rounds to scale fast.

Aer Venture Studios launches with an initial investment of £235k in HeyFlow - a female reproductive consultancy, whose vision is to create a pioneering employee insight platform. This will enable HeyFlow to provide enterprise clients with insights and action to support their female workforce, to create a safe space through policy and culture. HeyFlow’s ultimate goal is to end disadvantage for women in the workplace. 

Aer Venture Studios directors Tom Harber & Geoff Wells, also directors of Aer Studios, bring a wealth of experience in working with tech first start ups, scale ups and established organisations across both private and public sector in Europe, the USA and Australia. 

Harber, MD at Aer Studios said: “We’re incredibly excited to launch Aer Venture Studios to enable founders and organisations to realise their vision for game changing products. This is not just an investment fund - by combining funding with the might of the creative technologists in Aer Studios, we’re confident we can have a real impact and accelerate the digital product journeys for those organisations that are striving to positively impact people and planet.”

To find out more about Aer Venture Studios go to https://aerventurestudios.co.uk/