Skift Take
While an attempt by tech leaders in the UK to try to maintain the country’s position as a hub is laudable, the direction the current government is heading in means that many of its key suggestions are likely to be ignored.
Over the last few years the UK’s growing tech industry has made progress on solving a number of problems. From navigating through cities to locating the cheapest flights, the success of companies across the country has helped it to build a reputation as a global centre of excellence.
Now the sector faces perhaps its biggest challenge: navigating the uncharted territory of the UK’s divorce from the European Union.
A group of nine investors and founders, including Brent Hoberman, the co-founder of Lastminute.com, have come together to make a series of recommendations to Prime Minister Theresa May, which they believe will ensure the UK remains an important hub for digital innovation.
Chief among these is access to talent through skilled migration.
Research conducted by venture capital firm Balderton Capital and presented at Techcrunch Disrupt London this week found that 82 percent of respondents were concerned about access to talent in light of Brexit.
The same study also showed that 22 percent of those people working in the UK tech industry were non-British and that 42 percent of startups were founded with at least one non-native founder.
The UK
