Despite the popular notion that slavery was abolished centuries ago, estimates suggest there are over 35 million slaves in the world, including up to 15,000 in the UK, generating illicit profits in excess of $150 billion per year.

Deloitte and the Home Office led a high-profile, two-day event – Tech Camp 2015 – to bring together senior stakeholders from multiple sectors to understand how big data and technology can be used in the fight against modern slavery in corporate supply chains. The UK’s Modern Slavery Act (the first in the world of its kind) requires companies to formally declare what measures they are taking to manage the risks of slavery within their supply chains.

Participants at the conference included leading technologists from large companies such as Apple and EMC, as well as non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and business leaders from across the world of retail, banking and construction. The event generated a wealth of ideas and grounds for further collaboration.

Speaking at the event, Karen Bradley MP, Minister for Modern Slavery and Organised Crime, said:

Following Tech Camp 2015, Deloitte is helping organisations benchmark their efforts to combat modern slavery and to meet the reporting requirements required by the Act.