What We Built This Year
(and Why It Matters)
This time last year, Borders Tech Connect was mostly an idea.
Not a platform.
Not a programme.
Just a shared sense that something was missing in the Scottish Borders: a regular, welcoming, practical way for people to learn about modern technology and to meet others doing the same.
So we started small.
From meetups to momentum
Over the past year, Borders Tech Connect has run a growing series of public tech meetups and hands-on workshops, bringing together:
students and recent graduates
local businesses
developers, designers, and operators
educators and partners
The model was deliberate:
Talk first. Build next. Reflect together.
We didn’t want one-off talks that evaporate by morning.
And we didn’t want training that lived in isolation from real problems.
Instead, we paired open meetups with ongoing workshops, allowing ideas raised in the room to turn into practical experimentation, sometimes with real businesses and real workflows.
What worked better than expected
A few things surprised us:
Range of experience
Absolute beginners sat next to senior engineers — and both stayed.
Confidence growth
People didn’t just learn tools; they learned that they were allowed to be here.
Return attendance
Many came back. That’s the real signal.
Colleges & partners leaned in
The appetite for collaboration was already there — it just needed a place to land.
We created useful resources
What we learned the hard way
Not everything landed perfectly.
Some sessions tried to do too much.
We occasionally underestimated how unfamiliar certain concepts were.
We learned to slow down — and to leave more room for conversation.
Timing was crucial
Why this matters (beyond events)
Tech meetups aren’t just social. When done consistently, they:
retain local talent
shorten the gap between education and employment
give businesses safe ways to explore new tools
create informal mentoring networks
make “tech” feel local, not imported
This aligns closely with what research shows about rural tech ecosystems: sustained, community-led activity builds confidence first, capability second, and opportunity third.
What’s next
Next year, Borders Tech Connect will:
run themed tracks (starting with applied AI)
deepen partnerships with colleges and employers
publish clearer learning paths alongside events
document outcomes more visibly, not just attendance, but progression
We’re still building this with the community, not for it.
And that’s the point.
Thank you
To everyone who showed up, spoke, asked questions, or simply listened, thank you. You made this real. If you’re reading this and wondering whether you belong at the next one: you do.
