{"id":133288,"date":"2021-08-23T11:38:36","date_gmt":"2021-08-23T10:38:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/uk\/?p=133288"},"modified":"2023-09-27T15:17:42","modified_gmt":"2023-09-27T14:17:42","slug":"the-government-wants-to-level-up-the-uk-tech-will-be-key-in-more-ways-than-one","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/uk\/2021\/08\/the-government-wants-to-level-up-the-uk-tech-will-be-key-in-more-ways-than-one\/","title":{"rendered":"The Government Wants To \u2018Level Up\u2019 The UK: Tech Will Be Key In More Ways Than One"},"content":{"rendered":"
The UK\u2019s regional disparity is well-documented. From life expectancy to education to job prospects, some areas of the country, especially in London and the rest of the South East tend to fare significantly better than those across the rest of the country, in particular, the North East of England and Wales.<\/p>\n
To get a sense of the difference, at the height of the first lockdown last year, productivity in the South East, as measured by output per person, was roughly approximate to Wales and the North East of England in \u2018normal\u2019 times. These results aren\u2019t solely the outcomes of a north-south divide. Scotland, for example, was actually up to 10% more productive than the UK average in recent years, so there are clearly other factors at play.<\/p>\n
To address this disparity the UK Government has committed to \u2018levelling up\u2019 the country; a broad and as yet not fully defined vision to devolve power and bring living standards and economic conditions in more deprived areas in line with those better off. But what does that really mean? This blog seeks to explore that question and explains why I believe technology will be key to the Government achieving its goals, in more ways than one.<\/p>\n
What Is \u2018Levelling Up\u2019?<\/strong><\/p>\n The UK Government plans to publish a\u00a0Levelling Up White Paper\u00a0<\/em>later this year which will clarify how some recently enacted policies and future plans tie together in a coherent strategy to \u201cimprove opportunity and boost livelihoods across the country\u201d.<\/p>\n While the paper should provide valuable detail on specific initiatives, we already know some key things about the plans. One of the most important components will be moving Government functions and jobs out of Whitehall and creating hubs across the country.<\/p>\n This initiative has already begun in some areas. This year Rishi Sunak announced that Darlington, a town in County Durham, would become home to a Northern hub for the Treasury to decentralise economic decision-making.<\/p>\n This trend extends beyond the direct reach of the Government too. Earlier this year the BBC announced plans to move 400 jobs and \u00a3700m in funding outside of London. The hope in both instances is that relocating existing jobs will help create new ones, generating new opportunities for those living in the local area, and encouraging greater diversity.<\/p>\n Why Technology Is Integral To Levelling Up Plans\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n According to figures sourced from the UK Government\u2019s Digital Economy Council, the UK technology sector grew tenfold from 2010-20. The technology sector has more than delivered on its promise of revolutionising the economy and will be one of the most critical economic drivers in years to come. To date, much of this growth has again been centred in London and the South East.<\/p>\n A similar pattern emerges when we look at regional differences in technology investment in the public sector. In fact, currently just three sub-regions of the UK (Oxford, Cambridge, and Inner West London) account for 41% of the public sector R&D spend.<\/p>\n