Bulldog unbowed: UK climbs KPMG tech innovation rankings
KPMG says the core attributes that have made the UK tech sector so attractive remain in place
The UK has defied uncertainty surrounding Brexit by leaping from seventh to fourth place in a list ranking the most promising markets for technology breakthroughs.
The rankings, compiled by KPMG, asked 841 business executives at tech companies, venture capital firms and angel investors that focus on technology which country they felt shows the most promise for disruptive technology breakthroughs.
The UK placed fourth with a 10 per cent share of the vote, behind only the US (26 per cent), China (25 per cent) and India (11 per cent).
London also ranked at number five in the list of rising technology hubs respondents felt could challenge Silicon Valley, behind Shanghai, New York, Tokyo and Beijing.
Although the majority of UK techies felt Brexit would be bad for their industry - with high-profile vendors like Microsoft vocal in their backing of the Remain campaign - the tech sector here has proved its resilience by continuing to perform well and suck in investment, KPMG said in its commentary.
This confidence has been further bolstered by Google and Facebook's decision to hire more UK staff, Apple's decision to move to a new London HQ, and IBM's plans to open four UK datacentres, KPMG said.
It also praised the UK government for making tech a key priority of its new Industrial Strategy, singling out its £2bn R&D fund for emerging technology such as AI and robotics.
"Despite Brexit, the core attributes that have made the UK tech sector so strong and attractive remain in place, including an amazing talent base that has a long track record of creativity; great infrastructure and facilities; first class universities; a stable legal system; appropriate fiscal incentives; time zone advantages; and an ecosystem of advisers that support the needs of tech companies," KPMG stated.
Respondents were also asked which company they felt is the leader in driving technology innovation, with Google topping the pile on 20 per cent of the vote.
Apple finished second on 15 per cent, down on the 18 per cent share it garnered last year, with Microsoft (12 per cent) and IBM (seven per cent) completing the top four, ahead of Amazon, Tesla Motors, SpaceX and Alibaba.
More on Technology and Trends
Which reseller featured in Glassdoor's Best Places to Work list this year?
Company review site's annual ranking dominated by tech organisations
Scottish Tech Army founders get New Year Honours nod
Alistair Forbes tells CRN he has plans to broaden Scottish Tech Army not-for-profit initiative after being handed a BEM in today’s list
New tool launched to help firms buy sustainable IT
TCO Development's new database feature notifies buyers of certified products that meet predefined sustainability parameters
CRN appoints Josh Budd as editor
Appointment comes as channel sizes up its post-Covid recovery
Elon Musk is UK channel's most inspiring tech figurehead
More than a fifth of CRN A-listers named the controversial Tesla and SpaceX boss as the tech luminary who has most inspired them this year
More news
European cloud providers are disappearing amid rise of hyperscaler giants - research
AWS, Microsoft and Google are eating up market share from local European firms, according to data fro Synergy Research
Kaseya boss: 'We'll be a public company in Q4 this year'
Fred Voccola opens up to CRN on how its IPO plans are going, market valuations and forthcoming acquisitions
Why threat actors are targeting the channel
The recent attack on Exclusive Networks is only the latest in a series which has seen cybersecurity vendors, distributors and MSPs suffer breaches to their systems. CRN asks why the channel is seeing itself become a popular target for cybercriminals
Most read
