In brief: The 8th Annual Jersey TechAwards, organised by Digital Jersey, drew more than 500 attendees to the Jersey Showground on 16 October, with nominations up 70 per cent on last year. Winners included projects applying artificial intelligence to policing and using digital technology to advance heart failure research. The event underlined the growing weight of Jersey’s digital economy, estimated to have generated £415 million in direct economic value in 2024.
A record-breaking night at the Showground
If you needed proof that Jersey’s tech scene is no longer a quiet corner of the economy, the 8th Annual Jersey TechAwards provided it in some style. Held on Friday 16 October at the Jersey Showground, the ceremony was, according to Channel Eye, the biggest and most competitive in the event’s history, with over 500 attendees and a 70 per cent surge in nominations compared to the previous year.
The evening carried an F1-inspired theme, a nod to Digital Jersey’s role as a centre of excellence for STEM Racing. Whether or not you find motorsport metaphors for business innovation a little on the nose, the competitive spirit clearly suited the occasion. Thirteen categories were contested, including a newly introduced “One to Watch” category, judged by a panel of twelve.
EWG returned as headline sponsor for the second consecutive year. Denis Philippe, CTO at EWG, said the shortlist and winners reflected “the digital talent we are fortunate to have here in Jersey,” adding that the awards demonstrate “how innovation, ambition and collaboration can come together to make a significant impact across all areas of our community.”
From heart failure to a distillery’s digital twin
The winners themselves offered a compelling snapshot of where Jersey’s digital ambition is being directed. A research programme focused on heart failure took one of the top honours, pointing to the increasingly important intersection of technology and healthcare on the island. An AI-supported approach to policing also featured among the winning entries, a development that will no doubt prompt both admiration and the occasional raised eyebrow, depending on one’s views on algorithmic assistance in law enforcement.
Perhaps the most characterful winner, however, was a “digital twin” management system developed for a local distillery. For the uninitiated, a digital twin is a virtual replica of a physical system, used to monitor, simulate and optimise real-world operations. Applying that kind of technology to the art of distilling suggests Jersey’s producers are as serious about innovation as they are about their product.
The numbers behind the celebration
Tony Moretta, CEO of Digital Jersey, used the occasion to put the sector’s contribution in concrete terms. “Research estimates that our digital sector generated £415 million in direct economic value in 2024 and supported more than 4,000 jobs,” he said, describing the award winners as people “finding new ways to solve problems” and demonstrating “why digital matters both as an economic sector in its own right and as a force for positive change across island life.”
For Jersey readers, those figures matter. A sector generating £415 million and employing more than 4,000 people is not a niche enthusiasm; it is a significant pillar of the island’s economy, sitting alongside finance as a genuine driver of prosperity. The breadth of this year’s winning projects, spanning healthcare, public safety and manufacturing, suggests the digital economy is embedding itself across island life rather than remaining confined to a cluster of tech firms in St Helier.
Source: Channel Eye
