23 Jun 2022

Event round-up: the UK Innovation Strategy one year on – are we winning the global race for tech Innovation?

As part of techUK's London Tech Week activities this year, we were delighted to invite industry leaders together to explore the UK Innovation Strategy one year on – are we winning the global race for tech Innovation?

Addressing what we have learnt in the last twelve months since the release of the UK’s Innovation Strategy, and whether UK government, academia and industry are working together to build the right innovation ecosystem to support businesses of the future, techUK's Associate Director of Policy Neil Ross was joined by:

Jonathan Legh-Smith, Head of Scientific Affairs, BT
Matthew Houlihan, Senior Director, Government Affairs, Cisco
Gurpreet Manku, Director of Policy, British Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (BVCA)
Tim Ryan, Partner and Head of Commercial, Media and Technology, DAC Beachcroft LLP

You can watch the full recording here:

This wide ranging conversation explored key areas of the innovation ecosystem in the UK, from inward investment, financing, developing skills and talent, regulation and more. The panel started by idenifying best practice by Government over the last twelve months, giving the example of the methodical approach to quantum technologies through the long term investment into quantum through the NQTP, its importance in the Innovation Strategy, and now the upcoming Quantum Strategy. In terms of what the UK gets right, the conversation also discussed how UK Government has been an enabler of investment through bringing communities together with the productive finance working group. However, understanding key areas where UK Government and industry can work together to build a strong innovation ecosystem in the UK was critical to the discussion, and each panellist took time to identify the key issues for them going forward.

Please do not hesitate to reach out if you would like to learn more about techUK's Innovation Policy work

Neil Ross

Associate Director, Policy, techUK

As Associate Director for Policy Neil leads on techUK's public policy work in the UK. In this role he regularly engages with UK and Devolved Government Ministers, senior civil servants and members of the UK’s Parliaments aiming to make the UK the best place to start, scale and develop a tech business.

Neil joined techUK in 2019 to lead on techUK’s input into the UK-EU Brexit trade deal negotiations and economic policy. Alongside his role leading techUK's public policy work Neil also acts as a spokesperson for techUK often appearing in the media and providing evidence to a range of Parliamentary committees.

In 2023 Neil was listed by the Politico newspaper as one of the '20 people who matter in UK tech' and has regularly been cited as a key industry figure shaping UK tech policy.

Email:: [email protected]
Twitter:: @neil13r
Website:: www.techuk.org/
LinkedIn:: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neilross13/

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Laura Foster

Head of Technology and Innovation, techUK

Laura is techUK’s Head of Programme for Technology and Innovation.

She supports the application and expansion of emerging technologies, including Quantum Computing, High-Performance Computing, AR/VR/XR and Edge technologies, across the UK. As part of this, she works alongside techUK members and UK Government to champion long-term and sustainable innovation policy that will ensure the UK is a pioneer in science and technology

Before joining techUK, Laura worked internationally as a conference researcher and producer covering enterprise adoption of emerging technologies. This included being part of the strategic team at London Tech Week.

Laura has a degree in History (BA Hons) from Durham University, focussing on regional social history. Outside of work she loves reading, travelling and supporting rugby team St. Helens, where she is from.