PROFESSOR DYLAN JONES-EVANS

From keeping in touch with our friends by Facebook to managing our money via online banking, we now take it for granted that the digital world is changing our lives. Despite this, much remains to be done to ensure that the UK economy invests in information and communications technologies (ICT) to create further competitive advantage across all sectors in the economy. That is the conclusion from last month’s publication of the 2016 Global Information Technology Report by the World Economic Forum (WEF) which examined the level of preparedness of 139 countries to take advantage of the opportunities presented by emerging technologies and the digital economy. Whilst the UK is in the top 10, it is still behind countries such as Singapore, Finland and Sweden when it comes to digital readiness. However, there are a number of important lessons from these leading digital nations that could help us to catch up. The report suggests that innovation – which is so critical to developing...

Earlier this month, the Digital 2014 conference was held at the Celtic Manor Resort in Newport. Taking place over two days, the event focused on identifying the opportunities within the information and communications technology industry (ICT) especially the challenges and opportunities for young people as they progress through the education system and into the workplace. It also brought together global technology brands, industry professionals and knowledge experts to engage, educate and energise individuals, businesses and public sector organisations around the use and uptake of digital technologies in order to achieve organisational goals and deliver economic success. The venue for the conference was opportune, given the recent strong statement of intent made via the Newport City Task Force to create a major presence in the digital and ICT world. This includes creating an innovation company to act as a hub to attract investors to the area, establishing a National Centre f...