For the first time ever, the British government has set up a department within Whitehall that is devoted to science and technology policy.
Rishi Sunak has declared the establishment of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) as part of a major reorganization, which involves the formation of four new departments. This new department will have oversight of tech-related policies that were divided between the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).
The responsibility for the new department has been taken on by Michelle Donelan, who had previously held the role of Secretary of State at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
A declaration from 10 Downing Street asserted that a focused Department for Science, Innovation and Technology will stimulate the invention that will offer upgraded public services, generate new and better-paid occupations and expand the economy.
A single division devoted to transforming technological and scientific breakthroughs into viable solutions that address the issues we face will guarantee the UK is the most progressive economy worldwide.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer stated that DSIT will ensure that Britain is the place where the most progressive scientific breakthroughs take place and the most gifted individuals and enterprising businesspeople can convert those thoughts into businesses, items and services that can alter the world.
The statement for the new department outlines the remit which is to "place the UK in the vanguard of global scientific and technological progress... build on our robust basis of excellent research, a successful technology area and worldwide networks of connection to establish a continuous link between exceptional basic science and developments that alter lives and maintain economic growth. It will direct the highest ever levels of R&D and provide talent initiatives, physical and digital infrastructure and regulation."
Six "priority outcomes" were emphasized by Sunak for DSIT:
For a long time, those in the tech industry have been advocating for an official government-level post to be created that is devoted to science and technology as this sector grows to become a major part of the British economy. Recent Conservative governments have publicly declared that their aim is for the United Kingdom to become a "science and technology superpower".
In June 2022, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) initiated a digital strategy with the intention to secure growth in the £150bn UK digital economy. This strategy is designed to enhance the UK tech sector's gross value added (GVA) by £41.5bn and form an additional 678,000 jobs by 2025.
The tech sector will present the new department with a number of difficulties to resolve, including the perennial issue of skills shortages, the arguments over the maintenance of support for tech startups in the future, and the lack of investment in research and development initiatives.
In the Autumn Statement of 2022, Jeremy Hunt, the chancellor of the exchequer, declared the government's ambition of turning Britain into the world's next Silicon Valley, combining their innovative technology, scientific brilliance, and powerful financial services.
Hunt declared he would strengthen the UK's science and technology fields, noting that the 21st century economy will be determined by "advances in artificial intelligence, quantum tech and robotics". He contended that the nation needs to get far better at utilizing its technical skill and top-notch inventive capabilities to create first-class companies.
Rishi Sunak, the Chancellor, has always been a strong backer of the UK's digital and technology industry. He set up a Treasury project to communicate with leading figures in the tech sector, like CEOs, financiers, and startups, to get an idea of what the industry requires from the government after Brexit to make "Global Britain" a reality. Additionally, he has a close personal relationship with tech - his father-in-law was the creator of the Indian IT giant Infosys, as mentioned in the article from Computer Weekly.
When speaking to Computer Weekly in 2021, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, commented: "In politics, it's not always easy to do something and have it not work. That is part of the learning process, which is how we get better. We consider supporting the tech sector to be of great importance, and so we are eager to be creative with how we do this."
Grant Shapps has been assigned to head a new division for energy security and net zero, while Kemi Badenoch has been designated to lead the business and trade department and Lucy Frazer will be in charge of the culture, media and sport department as part of a broader reorganization.
Number 10 declared that the alterations would guarantee the proper capabilities and teams are centering on the Prime Minister's five pledges: to diminish inflation by half, promote economic growth, reduce debt, decrease waiting times, and put an end to the boats.