Technology Adoption Review: A start, but not the end, to seize the role of tech and solve the UK’s productivity problem
The UK government released its response to the Tech Adoption Review alongside the Industrial Strategy and Digital and Tech Sector Plan. Led by Chief Scientific Adviser Angela McLean and National Technology Adviser Dave Smith, the review examined technology adoption barriers across eight growth sectors and gathered over 200 responses.
While techUK welcomes recognition of AI's productivity potential and the Made Smarter programme's manufacturing success (with expansion of the programme to other high-growth sectors), we call for greater ambition to address the UK's lagging adoption rates and secure competitiveness. The review marks a start, not an end, to tackling this challenge.
Key findings and barriers echo techUK member sentiment – including government’s role as a convenor to drive change:
The review confirms the UK's productivity gap versus France and Germany, attributing it to lagging technology adoption. It recognises government's crucial role in guiding adoption – as a convenor and to guide private sector adoption - something techUK has long advocated through cross-departmental coordination and consistent data provision.
Key barriers identified in the review align with techUK member feedback: financial constraints, skills gaps, resistance to change, regulatory uncertainty, and inadequate digital infrastructure awareness.
The government response focuses on business support, AI skills development, and more strategic coordination, particularly expanding successful programs like Made Smarter. However, techUK believes it lacks sufficient evidence base and SME support for basic digital adoption.
A key strength is recognising government procurement as a tech adoption driver, using supply chain influence and public-private interactions (i.e., in areas such as taxation and planning) to incentivise private sector uptake - an approach techUK has consistently championed. Along with the need for further cross-government co-ordination across departments.
Business support puts onus on Made Smarter programme:
Business support and steps to support digital and tech adoption puts the onus on Made Smarter adoption programme to support this. The review confirms:
Expansion of Made Smarter Adoption for the advanced manufacturing sector, increasing its reach across England.
Utilising best practice from Made Smarter Adoption to become ‘Create Smarter’ to streamline industry access and adoption efficacy.
Delivering a version of the Made Smarter Adoption Programme to tailor expertise to help the Professional Business Services (PBS) Sector.
techUK has long advocated expanding the successful Made Smarter Programme beyond manufacturing to all high-growth sectors, recognising its proven approach of expert advisors, digital road mapping, leadership programmes, and internships following the North-West pilot.
s previously recognised by techUK, the review notes that an AI-driven ‘Technology Consultant-as-a-service’ or ‘Technology Navigator app’ could help businesses to initially triage and help with the provision of information. Onus here is on the private sector to develop this. We note that Singapore have seen high SME digital tech adoption rates and leant on their CTO as a Service model to support this.
Boost productivity with AI adoption
The review recognises AI's potential to boost UK productivity by 1.5% annually (£47 billion yearly). Government proposals include supporting AI assurance, creating regional 'AI adoption hubs' for sector-specific business support, and establishing an Industrial Strategy AI Adoption Fund for cutting-edge solutions.
However, techUK believes the recommendations lack ambition to meaningfully accelerate AI adoption. On behalf of our members, we will continue with the government to support delivery on AI adoption hubs and guide the initial stages of the AI Adoption Fund. We note that there was further detail within the government’s Industrial Strategy and Digital and Technologies Sector plan on these items.
Aligning with the Industrial Strategy, sector specific interventions
The review outlines recommendations across the high-growth sectors identified in the Industrial Strategy. Many of these recommendations align with announcements made in the Industrial Strategy. The review falls short on specific recommendations for the ‘digital and tech sector’ and puts onus on the sector to ‘identify opportunities for their products and services to meet the needs of the other growth driving sectors in the UK’.
Highlights across sectors include:
Advanced manufacturing: Expansion of Made Smarter Adoption programme
Clean energy industries: Increased use of AI to streamline planning process and optimise energy use. Enabling use of AI, digital and advanced technologies to accelerate consenting of clean energy, drive rapid scale-up of generation capacity, use of AI and energy data to unlock smarter meters for business.
Creative industries: Establishing business to business and createch demonstration hubs and develop a facilities directory and strategic roadmap for the subsectors in the creative industries to access sectors in the Creative Industries.
Defence: Further promoting tech adoption in defence government procurement, establishing a voluntary Defence Technology Adoption Charter and increasing use of secure digital testing spaces
Financial Services: Financial regulators build on existing mechanisms, such as the FCA AI Lab, ensuring skills fit for the future through the Financial Services Skills Commission, guidance on Digital IDs for compliance with Anti-Money Laundering regulations.
Life Sciences: Ensure that the MHRA is resourced to expand capacity in the innovation service and ensure that the recently announced Health Data Research Service answers industry’s call to make the UK’s health data easier.
Professional and business services: a PBS version of Made Smarter Adoption to improve accessibility of public datasets for use by the sector.
Digital and Tech: Focus on leveraging the digital and tech sector’s strength to make tech adoption central to the ambition to make the UK one of the top three places in the world to create, invest in and scale-up a fast-growing technology business.
techUK continued action
Overall, the strategy recognises areas that could be developed to support tech adoption across sectors and industry. However, it lacks the impetus to drive real change.
We still await the SME digital adoption taskforce report, along with the SME growth strategy. techUK sit on the Taskforce and continue to support the development of the final report – using guidance and steer from our members.
To support digital tech adoption, we continue to call for the government to:
Better support SMEs with basic tech adoption to enable the adoption of frontier technologies like AI.
Drive accountability and assign a Minister with responsibility for tech adoption.
Improve the data for measuring the UK’s standing on digital and tech adoption.
Draw inspiration from international best practice where programmes have understood their intended audience and combined targeted support, financial incentives, regulatory reforms and accessible training to drive transformative shifts in digital adoption across a wide range of businesses.
For more information, please contact:
Edward Emerson
Head of Digital Economy, techUK
Edward leads the Digital Economy programme at techUK, which includes our work on online safety, fraud, and regulation for growth initiatives.
He has prior experience working for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and has previously worked for a number of public affairs consultancies specialising in research and strategy, working with leading clients in the technology and financial services sectors.
Mia focuses on shaping a policy environment that fosters the expansion of the UK tech sector while maximising the transformative potential of technology across all industries.
Prior to joining techUK, Mia worked as a Senior Policy Adviser at the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) within the Policy Unit.
Mia holds an MSc in International Development from the University of Manchester and a BA(Hons) in Politics and International Relations from the University of Nottingham.
Archie Breare joined techUK in September 2022 as the Telecoms Programme intern, and moved into the Policy and Public Affairs team in February 2023.
Before starting at techUK, Archie was a student at the University of Cambridge, completing an undergraduate degree in History and a master's degree in Modern British History.
In his spare time, he likes to read, discuss current affairs, and to try and persuade himself to cycle more.
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Antony Walker is deputy CEO of techUK, which he played a lead role in launching in November 2013.
Antony is a member of the senior leadership team and has overall responsibility for techUK’s policy work. Prior to his appointment in July 2012 Antony was chief executive of the Broadband Stakeholder Group (BSG), the UK’s independent advisory group on broadband policy. Antony was closely involved in the development of broadband policy development in the UK since the BSG was established in 2001 and authored several major reports to government. He also led the development of the UK’s world leading Open Internet Code of Practice that addresses the issue of net neutrality in the UK. Prior to setting up the BSG, Antony spent six years working in Brussels for the American Chamber of Commerce following and writing about telecoms issues and as a consultant working on EU social affairs and environmental issues. Antony is a graduate of Aberdeen University and KU Leuven and is also a Policy Fellow Alumni of the Centre for Science and Policy at Cambridge University.
As Head of Public Affairs, Alice supports techUK’s strategic engagement with Westminster, Whitehall and beyond. She regularly works to engage with ministers, members of the UK’s parliaments and senior civil servants on techUK’s work advocating for the role of technology in the UK’s economy as well as wider society.
Alice joined techUK in 2022. She has experience working at both a political monitoring company, leading on the tech, media and telecoms portfolio there, and also as an account manager in a Westminster-based public affairs agency. She has a degree from the University of Sheffield in Politics and Philosophy.
Edward leads the Digital Economy programme at techUK, which includes our work on online safety, fraud, and regulation for growth initiatives.
He has prior experience working for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and has previously worked for a number of public affairs consultancies specialising in research and strategy, working with leading clients in the technology and financial services sectors.
Nimmi Patel is the Head of Skills, Talent and Diversity at techUK. She works on all things skills, education, and future of work policy, focusing on upskilling and retraining. Nimmi is also an Advisory Board member of Digital Futures at Work Research Centre (digit). The Centre research aims to increase understanding of how digital technologies are changing work and the implications for employers, workers, job seekers and governments.
Prior to joining the techUK team, she worked for the UK Labour Party and New Zealand Labour Party, and holds an MA in Strategic Communications at King’s College London and BA in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from the University of Manchester. She also took part in the 2024-25 University of Bath Institute for Policy Research Policy Fellowship Programme and is the Education and Skills Policy Co-lead for Labour in Communications.
Samiah Anderson is the Head of Digital Regulation at techUK.
With over six years of Government Affairs expertise, Samiah has built a solid reputation as a tech policy specialist, engaging regularly with UK Government Ministers, senior civil servants and UK Parliamentarians.
Before joining techUK, Samiah led several public affairs functions for international tech firms and coalitions at Burson Global (formerly Hill & Knowlton), delivering CEO-level strategic counsel on political, legislative, and regulatory issues in the UK, EU, US, China, India, and Japan. She is adept at mobilising multinational companies and industry associations, focusing on cross-cutting digital regulatory issues such as competition, artificial intelligence, and more.
She holds a BA (Hons) in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics from the University of London, where she founded the New School Economics Society, the Goldsmiths University chapter of Rethinking Economics.
Audre joined techUK in July 2023 as a Policy Manager for Data. Previously, she was a Policy Advisor in the Civil Service, where she worked on the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, and at HM Treasury on designing COVID-19 support schemes and delivering the Financial Services and Markets Bill. Before that, Audre worked at a public relations consultancy, advising public and private sector clients on their communications, public relations, and government affairs strategy.
Prior to this, Audre completed an MSc in Public Policy at the Korea Development Institute and a Bachelor's in International Relations and History from SOAS, University of London. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time outdoors, learning about new cultures through travel and food, and going on adventures.
Mia focuses on shaping a policy environment that fosters the expansion of the UK tech sector while maximising the transformative potential of technology across all industries.
Prior to joining techUK, Mia worked as a Senior Policy Adviser at the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) within the Policy Unit.
Mia holds an MSc in International Development from the University of Manchester and a BA(Hons) in Politics and International Relations from the University of Nottingham.
Archie Breare joined techUK in September 2022 as the Telecoms Programme intern, and moved into the Policy and Public Affairs team in February 2023.
Before starting at techUK, Archie was a student at the University of Cambridge, completing an undergraduate degree in History and a master's degree in Modern British History.
In his spare time, he likes to read, discuss current affairs, and to try and persuade himself to cycle more.
Dani joined techUK in February 2025 as a Policy Manager in the Digital Regulation team.
Prior to this, Dani worked in political monitoring where she was a consultant for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. In this role, she developed a strong understanding of parliamentary procedure, closely following all of the major developments in the tech centre and working with several key stakeholders and regulators.
She has an undergraduate degree in History from the University of Bristol and an MPhil in Modern European History from the University of Cambridge.
Outside of tech, Dani has a strong interest in addiction policy, particularly towards drugs, having written her dissertation on the topic as well as several subsequent research projects. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking and following all things motoring, whether that be F1, MotoGP or Formula E.
Oliver is a Junior Policy Manager at techUK, working across Public Affairs and Digital Regulation policy. He supports the organisation’s engagement with government and parliament, contributes to shaping techUK’s regulatory agenda, and plays a key role in coordinating political outreach, policy projects, and flagship events.
He joined techUK in November 2023 as a Team Assistant to the Policy and Public Affairs team, before stepping into his current role. He has been closely involved in efforts to ensure the tech sector’s voice is heard in the policymaking process.
Oliver holds a Master’s in Policy Research from the University of Bristol and a BSc in Policy from Swansea University. During his studies, he contributed to mental health research as a Student Research Assistant for the SMaRteN network.
Outside of work, Oliver is a keen debater and remains active in the UK debating community, having previously led the Swansea University Debating Union. He enjoys exploring complex issues from multiple perspectives and values clear, thoughtful communication in policy discussions.
Tess joined techUK as an Policy and Public Affairs Team Assistant in November of 2024. In this role, she supports areas such as administration, member communications and media content.
Before joining the Team, she gained experience working as an Intern in both campaign support for MPs and Councilors during the 2024 Local and General Election, and working for the Casimir Pulaski Foundation on defence and international secuirty. She has worked for multiple charities, on issues such as the climate crisis, educational inequality and Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG). In 2023, Tess obtained her Bachelors of Arts in Politics and International Relations from the University of Nottingham.
