Latest news with #DSIT
Tahawul Tech
01-07-2025
- Business
- Tahawul Tech
UK operators seek to connect rural areas
UK mobile operators are ahead of schedule in their plans to cover 95% of the landmass with 4G as part of a rural connectivity scheme, with attention now shifting to areas marked total not spots (TNS). Along with the landmass targets, companies involved in the Shared Rural Network (SRN) completed projects involving roads and premises which were scheduled for January 2027. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) stated it is now working to address areas completely without coverage based on consultation with relevant communities and interest groups. The TNS plan is mostly focused on Scotland, with priority now being given to popular tourist areas, walking routes and Munros. In a related statement, the SRN organisation explained state aid would be available to operators only when tackling areas 'with no 4G coverage' from any player, with a view to connecting the public, devices, emergency services, and 'rural activities and operations'. The TNS plan proposes constructing 44 new shared masts across northerly and north-westerly areas of the Scottish mainland and islands. Although hailing the SRN progress and refreshed TNS targets, the DSIT conceded the latest plan involves building fewer masts in Scotland than originally envisaged, though emphasised the current strategy focuses on popular tourist destinations. The DSIT emphasised any new masts would still 'go through the proper planning processes' and be 'considerate to areas of natural beauty', local history and ecology. Source: Mobile World Live Image Credit: Stock Image
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Business Standard
24-06-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
UK launches £54 mn Global Talent Taskforce to attract skilled foreigners
Opportunity for skilled Indians! The UK on Monday unveiled a new Global Talent Taskforce backed by a £54 million Global Talent Fund to attract top science and tech professionals from across the world to relocate and strengthen British expertise in critical sectors. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) said the taskforce would support researchers, entrepreneurs, investors, senior-level engineers and creatives, working closely with the UK's global missions to build a pipeline of talent interested in moving to Britain. What the fund will cover The Global Talent Fund will support relocation and research costs over a five-year period, starting in 2025. Funding will be allocated via the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) body to leading universities and research institutions. These organisations will be responsible for identifying and targeting individuals in line with the UK's newly announced Industrial Strategy focused on economic growth. 'Genius is not bound by geography. But the UK is one of the few places blessed with the infrastructure, skills base, world-class institutions and international ties needed to fertilise brilliant ideas,' said Peter Kyle, UK Secretary for Science and Technology. 'My message to those who are advancing new ideas, wherever they are, is simple: we want to work with you, to support you, and to give you a home where you can make your ideas a reality we all benefit from,' he said. The taskforce will report directly to Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Chancellor Rachel Reeves. It will build on proposals in the UK's Immigration White Paper to attract global researchers, including changes to the High Potential Individual visa route. 'Competition for elite global talent is high, and by establishing this taskforce we are solidifying our position as the first choice for the world's brightest sparks,' said Jonathan Reynolds, UK Business and Trade Secretary. The government has said this drive will not affect net migration figures, referring to the balance between people arriving and leaving the country. Role of universities Universities will play a central role in delivering this effort, using their networks and expertise to bring top global talent into British labs and industries. 'UK universities are already pivotal players in attracting global talent and the creation of the Taskforce and Fund will further leverage their role in building our future technologies and driving long-term growth,' said Vivienne Stern, Chief Executive of Universities UK. Global Talent visa and India's prospects Lord Patrick Vallance, Britain's minister for science, research and innovation, flagged the Global Talent visa as a key instrument in attracting scientists and innovators. Speaking at the India Global Forum's Future Frontiers Forum in London on June 20, he said the UK must deepen academic and scientific partnerships with India. The Global Talent visa is open to individuals in science, humanities, digital tech, arts and culture. It does not require a job offer or employer sponsorship and allows fast-track entry for those endorsed by approved bodies. This visa was mentioned in the UK's May Immigration White Paper, which proposed simplifying applications for top global experts. Why this matters for Indians India has emerged as a global research hub. It ranked in the top five for 45 out of 64 critical technologies in 2023, up from 37 in the previous year, according to the Critical Technology Tracker by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. The country overtook the US in areas like biological manufacturing and distributed ledger technologies. With continued Indian interest in moving to the UK for research and work, this taskforce and visa expansion opens doors for scientists, engineers and digital experts from India to bring their skills to Britain.
Time of India
23-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
UK launches new taskforce and fund to attract global science, tech talent
Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads The UK on Monday unveiled a new Global Talent Taskforce backed up by a GBP 54 million Global Talent Fund to attract the world's top science and technology talent to relocate to the country and enhance British expertise in the government's Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) said the taskforce will support researchers, entrepreneurs, investors, top-tier managerial and engineering talent and high-calibre creatives to work closely with the UK's international presence to build a pipeline of talent who want to come to related fund, which is designed to attract world-class researchers and their teams to the UK, will cover relocation and research costs over five years starting this year."Genius is not bound by geography. But the UK is one of the few places blessed with the infrastructure, skills base, world-class institutions and international ties needed to fertilise brilliant ideas, and turn them into new medicines that save lives, new products that make our lives easier, and even entirely new jobs and industries," said UK Science and Tech Secretary Peter Kyle."My message to those who are advancing new ideas, wherever they are, is simple: we want to work with you, to support you, and to give you a home where you can make your ideas a reality we all benefit from," he taskforce will report directly to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Chancellor Rachel Reeves, and the linked Global Talent Fund will be allocated over the coming weeks via the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) public body to leading universities and other research organisations will be expected to use their expertise to select and target the right talent, aligned with the overarching objectives of the government's new Industrial Strategy aimed at boosting economic growth, also released this week."Competition for elite global talent is high, and by establishing this taskforce we are solidifying our position as the first choice for the world's brightest sparks, as well as turbocharging innovation in medicines and inventions of the future, boosting British business and putting money in working people's pockets," said UK Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan said the taskforce is intended to bolster homegrown talent with cutting edge, highly skilled expertise from around the world to work in the key sectors identified as part of a new 10-year industrial expansion will also build on commitments in the recent 'Immigration White Paper' to expand eligible institutions for the High Potential Individual visa and fast-track the brightest and best talent into UK high growth and strategic industries, such as the science and technology sectors, the department added."UK universities are already pivotal players in attracting global talent and the creation of the Taskforce and Fund will further leverage their role in building our future technologies and driving long-term growth," said Vivienne Stern, Universities UK Chief government has stressed that this new drive to attract talent will not impact net migration, or the difference between those migrating into the UK and those that emigrate abroad.
Business News Wales
16-06-2025
- 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.
