DCMS digital strategy bids to boost UK tech economy, close skills gap

The new DCMS digital strategy was announced at London Tech Week, with digital minister Chris Philp promising that it would help grow a £150-billion digital economy and make the UK the “best place in the world to start and grow a technology business.”

The cross-government strategy, not to be confused with a new CDDO digital government strategy intent on improving digital government services, will focus on six key areas, from rolling out world class infrastructure and protecting UK research and development and intellectual property, to harnessing the power of data, ramping up digital skills, financing technology growth, levelling up accessibility, and “enhancing the UK’s place in the world”.

Of particular note, post the Brexit agreement, was the strategy’s intention to “implement a light-touch, pro-growth regulatory regime that protects citizens while encouraging both investment and innovation”. This, the DCMS said, will lead to regulatory competitive advantages in areas such as artificial intelligence, data and digital competition.

Philp said that UK tech businesses raised £12.5 billion within the first five months of 2022, making it second globally to the US on tech start-up funding and ahead of France and Germany

Estimates commissioned by the government suggest that the digital economy could grow the UK tech sector’s annual gross value added (GVA) by an additional £41.5 billion by 2025 and create a further 678,000 jobs.

Government, Government IT, United Kingdom