Plans revealed for UK to become an international technology superpower
The UK has set out a new international technology strategy to become a tech superpower by 2030, capitalising on critical emerging technologies to grow the sector.
The strategy will be led by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and the Foreign Secretary, and will be centred on four core principles, to be open, responsible, secure and resilient, and to shape innovation across the tech industry.
AI, quantum, semiconductors, telecoms and engineering biology have been identified as the focus of the strategy with high potential for growth and innovation.
Sridhar Iyengar, managing director for Zoho Europe, commented: “It is great to see the UK’s emphasis on growing the technology sector which can play a significant part in both economic recovery and future growth. Promoting tech adoption, delivering digital skills, and championing emerging technologies can empower innovation across UK businesses to enhance their day-to-day operations.”
“AI, in particular, can truly supercharge a business if applied with the right strategy, automating manual tasks to boost efficiency and aid businesses in making strategic decisions.”
“Investment, training and international collaboration can all support the integration of AI technology into IT infrastructures, helping organisations to realise its many benefits. Fraud detection, forecasting and data analysis, among a plethora of other tasks, are all areas which greatly benefit from AI and can save businesses huge amounts of time, particularly when used within a unified system.”
“Businesses should embrace AI and wider technology adoption to progress their digital transformation journey and leverage technology to fuel business and economic growth.”
Growing the economy has been outlined as one of the Prime Minister’s five priorities, creating better paid jobs and opportunities across the country. The UK tech sector was worth $1 trillion in 2022 and was home to over 85,000 start-ups and scale-ups.
The government states it will work closely with other governments, academia and industry to build on the UK’s technology strengths through international partnerships.
Technology secretary Michelle Donelan said: “We are a top-class breeding ground for emerging tech, but being a superpower means working with our international partners to turn these nascent technologies into global industries. Our International Tech Strategy will ensure we deepen collaboration with our allies on technologies of tomorrow, driving growth and prosperity for the UK while strengthening our national security.”
