Technology boost for UK businesses

The EU Commission has published details on how UK businesses can increase productivity  through better access to technologies.

The plans sets out ways to help businesses innovate, which includes improving access to cloud computing and services, data analytics and the Internet of Things.

Business Minister Baroness Neville-Rolfe comments: “The fourth industrial revolution will fundamentally change the way we do business in this country. As with previous industrial revolutions, the expectation must be that the net effect will be positive for almost everyone.

“The package set out by the European Commission contains stimulating ideas about how businesses can embrace new and interesting ways of working. I look forward to working with the Commission on a package that works for UK businesses and agreeing a way forward in the Competitiveness Council.”

Baroness Neville-Rolfe goes on to further explain that the package will build on the existing work going on in the UK, such as digital catapults and support for quantum technologies.

The package aims to make UK companies more globally competitive.

It would be part-funded by Horizon 2020, the biggest ever EU research and innovation programme with €80 billion of funding available over 7 years (2014 to 2020), along with private investment.

The package sets out suggestions in 4 areas of working:

1. Digitising European industry, which sets out how the European Commission will help industries to take advantage of digital technologies; supporting collaboration between EU and UK high value manufacturing,
2. European cloud initiative, to be used by the science community, which could include making scientific data generated by the Horizon 2020 programme open by default,
3. Priorities for ICT standardisation, which will help to make it easier for British businesses to operate in the single market,
4. An eGovernment action plan 2016 to 2020, which will help to modernise public administration, making it easier for UK citizens and businesses to access government services in other European countries.

The government is expected to check the proposals and work with EU institutions to secure the package’s success for the UK industry.