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Business News Wales
4 days ago
- Business
- Business News Wales
A Welsh Perspective from London Tech Week
Mark John, Co-Founder of Tramshed Tech and Board Member of the UK Tech Cluster Last week, I had the privilege of representing Tramshed Tech as a Strategic Partner at London Tech Week, an experience that proved as energising as it was eye-opening. From international roundtables and policy briefings to investor panels and startup showcases, the week was a powerful snapshot of where the UK tech sector is heading and where Wales fits within that evolving picture. What unfolded was not just a packed agenda of meetings and events, but a timely reminder of the growing role regional ecosystems like ours are playing on the global tech stage. Monday Wow… what a way to start. I arrived in London early Monday, armed with an ambitious schedule and a suitcase full of Tramshed brochures, not quite prepared for the sheer scale of what lay ahead. First stop: 'Innovating Beyond Borders' at the Québec Government Office. This was a great moment to deepen ties with our Canadian friends, as well as spark a new connection with McGill University's Dobson Centre. The conversations there reminded me how vital global collaboration is to developing innovation clusters, something we're working hard to lead in Wales. Next, I headed to the Welsh Government offices for the InterCeltic Business Forum, where the room was filled with a real sense of cross-border opportunity. It's always good to be reminded of the cultural and economic ties Wales shares with its Celtic cousins and how those shared values can become a competitive advantage in the global market. The day wrapped with the UK Startup Coalition reception at the Trafalgar St James rooftop. From pre-Spending Review conversations with Chancellor Rachel Reeves to chats with friends from across the UK tech cluster network, it was clear that policy and ecosystem alignment are climbing up the national agenda—and fast. Tuesday–Thursday These days were a full-on tech marathon. Olympia played host to a flurry of meetings, chance encounters, and purposeful introductions. Tramshed's headline moment came on the LTW Startup Stage as we showcased some of Wales' most exciting emerging ventures from green tech to gaming. Seeing our cohort pitch on a global stage, backed by our brilliant Head of Ventures, Sophie Webber, was a moment of real pride. At the Global Tech Advocates breakfast in the City, I spoke on behalf of Tech Wales Advocates and was struck again by how interconnected the global tech community is becoming. Conversations with peers from India, China, the Nordics, and the Middle East reaffirmed that Wales has a genuine opportunity to carve out a place in that global network, if we keep pushing. A standout moment came at DSIT in Whitehall, where I joined a UK Tech Cluster Group roundtable with Baroness Jones of Whitchurch and the DSIT leadership team. We discussed what the Chancellor's Spending Review could mean in practice, particularly the boost to AI and R&D, and the increased remit for the British Business Bank. The details are still to come, but the direction of travel is encouraging: more place-based investment, and more regional autonomy to shape growth. Thursday Evening If there was a single event that summed up the week, it was Invest in Innovation: The Welsh Opportunity, our flagship event at the 23rd floor of The Shard. With stunning views over London, we delivered a full-throttle showcase of Welsh tech excellence. David Stevens, Co-Founder of Admiral, reminded the room exactly what Wales is capable of when the right conditions align. From world-class data talent to unmatched workforce loyalty, his message was clear: Wales works. That theme continued with our investment panel, where the message from investors was unambiguous—Wales is investable, scalable, and open for business. London advisors were told to set up shop. Founders were told to base themselves in Wales. And investors? Start building your Welsh portfolio. The time is now. Friday After a late-night return on what I'll always call 'The Milk Train,' it was straight to Cardiff City Stadium for the Made in the UK, Sold to the World roadshow. As a keynote speaker, I had the opportunity to reflect on the week and its broader message: exporting isn't a bonus for tech companies—it's the beginning. Most of the startups we support at Tramshed Tech are already reaching global markets before they've reached ten employees. Exporting is baked into their DNA. And what London Tech Week reinforced is that Wales is absolutely ready to meet that global demand. Final Reflections London Tech Week was more than a calendar of events, it was a mirror. A chance to see how far Wales has come as a tech ecosystem, and how much further we can go if we back our startups, invest in our infrastructure, and believe in our own ability to lead. As we look ahead to the Wales Investment Summit later this year, the challenge is simple: keep connecting the dots. Global relevance starts with local ambition and last week showed just how much of that we already have.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Data bill opposed by Sir Elton John and Dua Lipa finally passes
A bill which sparked an extraordinary stand-off between some of the UK's most high-profile artists - and their backers in the House of Lords - has finally been passed. Peers wanted an amendment to the drably-titled Data (Use and Access) Bill which would have forced tech companies to declare their use of copyright material when training AI tools. Without it, they argued, tech firms would be given free rein to help themselves to UK content without paying for it, and then train their AI products to mimic it, putting human artists out of work. That would be "committing theft, thievery on a high scale", Sir Elton John told the BBC. He was one of a number of household names from the UK creative industries, including Sir Paul McCartney and Dua Lipa to oppose the government. The government refused the amendment. It says it is already carrying out a separate consultation around copyright and it wants to wait for the outcome of that. In addition there are plans for a separate AI bill. Critics of the peers' proposal say it would stifle the AI industry and result in the UK getting left behind in this lucrative and booming sector. So, this left the bill in limbo, pingponging between the Houses of Commons and Lords for a month. But it has now finally been passed, without the amendment, and will become law once royal assent is given. "We can only do so much here. I believe we've done it. It's up to the government and the other place (the Commons) now to listen," said composer and broadcaster Lord Berkeley. The government has welcomed the wide-ranging bill passing. "This Bill is about using data to grow the economy and improve people's lives, from health to infrastructure and we can now get on with the job of doing that", a Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) spokesperson said. Caught in the crossfire of this row were other useful proposals contained within the bill, including: New rules on the rights of bereaved parents to access their children's data if they die Changes to allow NHS trusts to share patient data more easily A 3D underground map of the UK's pipes and cables, aimed at improving the efficiency of roadworks by minimising the possibility of them being accidentally dug up. "So this is good news for NHS workers and the police who will be freed from over a million hours of time spent doing admin, bereaved parents who will be supported to get the answers they deserve, and people who will be kept safer online thanks to new offences for deepfake abuse," DSIT said. But even though the Lords have decided they had made their point on AI, the argument has not gone away. Those who fought the battle have not changed their minds. Baroness Kidron, a film maker who led the charge for the amendment, told me the passing of the bill was "a pyrrhic victory at best" for the government, meaning it would lose more than it gains. That cost, she argues, is the giving away of UK assets, in the form of creative content, to largely US-based AI developers. There are many who remain defiant and they believe strongly that the UK's £124bn creative industry is under threat if the government doesn't actively engage with their demands Owen Meredith, chief executive of the News Media Association which supported the Lords said the bill sent a "clear message" to the government "that Parliament, and the UK's 2.4 million creative workers, will fight tirelessly to ensure our world-renowned copyright law is enforced". "We keep being told that AI will change everything, which, I'm afraid, means that we will discuss this during debates on every bill," said Baroness Dido Harding in the House of Lords, recorded in Hansard. "We will prevail in the end." Peers demand more protection from AI for creatives Government AI copyright plan suffers fourth House of Lords defeat Sign up for our Tech Decoded newsletter to follow the world's top tech stories and trends. Outside the UK? Sign up here.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Why Greater Manchester 'can hit the ground running' amid huge AI school plans
One million students will be prepared for jobs of the future thanks to a new artificial intelligence (AI) training programme. Around £187m will be invested in the national skills programme to bring digital skills and AI learning into classrooms and communities, the Prime Minister has announced. It comes as the government aims for 7.5m workers across the UK to gain essential AI skills by 2030. Research commissioned by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) reveals that by 2035, around 10m workers will be in jobs where AI will be part of their role or responsibilities in some form, with a further 3.9m people in positions directly in AI. READ MORE: Boy, 14, stabbed to death named and pictured amid huge murder investigation READ MORE: Manchester murder investigation LIVE updates as police make arrests and seal off house after boy, 14, killed This week, Rachel Reeves will announce billions of pounds to 'turbo-charge' the tech sector as part of her long-term spending plans. Ahead of the Chancellor's Spending Review on Wednesday (June 11), the Prime Minister has announced a £187m 'national skills drive'. TechYouth, the 'flagship' strand of this programme which is backed by £24m of government funding, promises to give 1m students over three years across every secondary school in the UK the chance to learn about technology and gain new career opportunities. It builds on the CyberFirst programme which has already helped hundreds of thousands of young people gain cyber security skills. Last week, Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle was at Salford's MediaCityUK to see the scheme for himself. Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, he said the new initiative will be delivered locally, using facilities such as those available at MediaCityUK. He said: "For Greater Manchester, you can see that you already have in MediaCity the physical ability to grasp the new resources that the government is going to be putting into skills development. "So in other words, you've got the space and the resources that can cope with the massive upscaling that we're going to be delivering for cyber skills and cyber skills development into the future. "Whereas other parts of the country are going to have to find the space, you can hit the ground running." According to the government, in each of the UK's regions and nations, a local delivery partner will be selected by DSIT, to run the programme and deliver activities to schools and colleges in local areas. The TechFirst programme also promises to support over 4,000 graduates, researchers, and innovators through three additional strands. With £96.8m, TechGrad will support 1,000 'exceptional' domestic students a year with undergraduate scholarships, TechExpert will give up to £10,000 in additional funding to 500 domestic PhD students conducting research in tech, with a total of £48.4m to spend, while with £18, TechLocal will offer seed funding to help regional innovators and small businesses develop new tech products and adopt AI. Major industry players including IBM, BAE Systems, QinetiQ, BT, Microsoft and the Careers & Enterprise Company have backed the initiative. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: 'We are putting the power of AI into the hands of the next generation – so they can shape the future, not be shaped by it. 'This training programme will unlock opportunity in every classroom – and lays the foundations for a new era of growth. 'Too many children from working families like the one I grew up in are written off. I am determined to end that. 'This programme is the Plan for Change in action – breaking down barriers, driving innovation, and giving every young person the chance of a good, well paid job and a bright future.'
The Independent
08-06-2025
- Business
- The Independent
One million students to receive AI training in new skills drive
Secondary school pupils will be taught new skills to make sure they can get AI-powered jobs in the future, the prime minister is set to announce. It comes as research commissioned by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) showed that, by 2035, AI will play a part in the roles and responsibilities of around 10 million workers. One million students will be given access to learning resources to start equipping them for 'the tech careers of the future' as part of the government's £187m 'TechFirst' scheme, Downing Street said on Monday. The announcement came just hours after technology secretary Peter Kyle admitted that AI 'does lie', acknowledging that the technology was 'not flawless'. The TechFirst programme will be split into four strands, with TechYouth – the £24m 'flagship' arm – aimed at giving students across every secondary school in the UK the chance to gain new AI skills over three years. Sir Keir Starmer is also launching a new government partnership with industry to train 7.5 million UK workers in essential skills to use AI by 2030. Tech giants including Google, Microsoft, IBM, Nvidia, BT and Amazon have signed up to make 'high-quality' training materials widely available to workers free of charge over the next five years, No 10 said. Sir Keir said the government is 'putting the power of AI into the hands of the next generation – so they can shape the future, not be shaped by it'. He added: 'This training programme will unlock opportunity in every classroom – and lays the foundations for a new era of growth. 'Too many children from working families like the one I grew up in are written off. I am determined to end that.' Sir Keir hosted a private reception at Chequers on Sunday with leading technology bosses and investors, including former Google chief executive Eric Schmidt, Faculty AI co-founder Angie Ma, Google DeepMind chief Demis Hassabis and Scale boss Alex Wang. On Tuesday, he will invite industry figures to Downing Street, including 16-year-old AI entrepreneur Toby Brown, who recently secured $1m in Silicon Valley funding for his startup, Beem. Asked about the risk of AI producing unreliable information, Mr Kyle said 'people need to understand that AI is not flawless, and that AI does lie because it's based on human characteristics'. 'Now it is getting more precise as we move forward. It's getting more powerful as we move forward,' he told Sky News's Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips. 'But as with every single technology that comes into society, you can only safely use it and wisely use it by understanding how it works.' He added: 'We are going to legislate for AI going forward and we're going to balance it with the same legislation that we'll bring in to modernise the copyright legislation as well.'
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Spending Review to include £86bn science and tech package
An £86bn package for the science and technology sector will help fund research into drug treatments and longer-lasting batteries, the government has said ahead of Wednesday's Spending Review. The package also includes up to £500m for regions across the UK with local leaders having a say on how it is spent, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) said. Chancellor Rachel Reeves, whose review will outline day-to-day departmental and investment budgets over the next few years, said investing in the sector would create jobs and boost security. But research backers have warned that the government needs to do more to secure the UK's reputation for science on the world stage. Spending Review: Massive cheques from the chancellor for some - but what do totals hide? Reeves admits some will lose out in spending review Spending Review: When is it and what might Rachel Reeves announce? Reeves will set out departmental spending plans on Wednesday, with the package for science and technology expected to be worth more than £22.5 billion-a-year by 2029. DSIT said "every corner of the country" would benefit, with communities able to direct funding to expertise specific to their areas. In Liverpool, which has a long history in biotech, funding will be used to speed up drug discovery. Northern Ireland will receive money to develop defence equipment, while south Wales will use the money to design microchips used to power mobile phones and electric cars. The chancellor said: "Britain is the home of science and technology. Through the plan for change, we are investing in Britain's renewal to create jobs, protect our security against foreign threats and make working families better off." Tony McBride, director of policy and public affairs at the Institute of Physics, welcomed the funding but said the government would need to commit to a decade-long plan to train workers. "This must include a plan for the skilled workforce we need to deliver this vision, starting with teachers and addressing every educational stage, to underpin the industrial strategy," he said. John-Arne Rottingen, chief executive of Britain's biggest non-governmental research funder Wellcome, warned that visa costs for scientists from overseas, financial challenges at universities and a budget that was not adjusted for inflation could hamper the government's ambitions. "The UK should be aiming to lead the G7 in research intensity, to bring about economic growth and the advances in health, science and technology that benefit us all." The shadow technology secretary, Alan Mak, said the investment for the sector seemed to be a "copy and paste" of Conservative plans set out in its manifesto last year. "As Labour and Reform squabble over how to spend more taxpayers money, only the Conservatives are creating a serious plan for government to deliver growth and give you your country back," he added. Earlier this week, Reeves admitted that not every government department would "get everything they want" in Wednesday's review, saying she had turned down requests from ministers and argued a squeeze on funding was a "product of economic reality". Reeves said her fiscal rules on borrowing to pay for public services were "non-negotiable" and insisted they were necessary because of "Conservative maltreatment" of the economy. The Treasury said earlier this year that the chancellor's fiscal rules would ensure day-to-day spending was matched by tax revenues, meaning the government would only borrow to invest. Big chunks will go to favoured departments, with suggestions of an extra £30 billion for the NHS over three years. Whitehall insiders have told the BBC they expect the spending review will be "ugly", and that ministers have been fighting over winning small amounts of cash for their respective departments.
