Tech Manifesto launched but Digital Britain may be run from abroad

Last week, Lords, IT analysts and other key members of the technology industry launched the ‘Technology Manifesto – Making BrITain great again’. The manifesto calls for the creation of 250,000 IT jobs in 10 years and looks at how the technology industry can help boost the UK economy.

Created by software firm Micro Focus and launched at the House of Lords, it suggests that by increasing our technology workforce, a large contribution would be made to the national GDP with job creation playing a key role. In addition, with the recent appointment of Lord Sugar to the House, a well known and respected IT Champion, Vector hope that there will be real momentum behind this initiative in business.

According to their data, the number of graduates taking IT related degrees has halved between 2003 and 2008, creating a distinct lack of IT graduates in the UK, so a plan to develop and grow our technology industry is welcome news. Vector expect that the creation of these new jobs will be a positive move for all in the IT sector, and notably will create and promote contracted specialists of the future. We also expect that this announcement will stimulate the industry as a whole from the ground up.

As well as job creation, four directional policies shape the manifesto

“Harness the expertise and goodwill of successful leaders around the world to mentor leaders of UK based emerging technology businesses”

“Radically change tax incentives for investors in technology”

“Encourage international technology companies to invest in the UK”

“Financial incentives for UK based IT companies looking to accelerate cutting edge research and development. The small to medium business rate should be extended to all sizes of Technology Company for 10 years”

However, with so many large corporations moving their offices out of the UK to more ‘commercially viable’ locations such as France, Germany, Sweden or Switzerland, the manifesto will have its work cut out to be a huge success. Only recently it has been publicised that ‘Digital Britain’ may be run from abroad’ due to inadequate data and processing facilities here in the UK. Yahoo has recently moved its European Division in London to the continent, Santander, the Spanish Banking Group, has abandoned plans to build a European data centre in London, having found a cheaper site in Madrid, and even McDonalds has moved their European head office from London to Geneva recently to benefit from Switzerland’s advantageous intellectual property tax laws. Clearly radical changes are needed in the UK.

If the Manifesto can deliver, it will generate the extra employment so desperately needed by the UK economy. Overall, it’s a refreshing concept and it’s good to see that we are taking technology seriously. Hopefully it’s not a case of too little too late.

Martin Pite, Team Manager