WIREDGOV

techUK leads roundtable examining Brexit challenges and opportunities with MPs responsible for scrutinising Brexit process.

Following the launch of techUK’s major new report The UK Digital Sectors After Brexit, techUK led a roundtable with leading MPs from the Select Committee for Exiting the European Union

Building on techUK’s key priorities to Government for the Brexit negotiations, attendees stressed the importance of maintaining international data flows once the UK leaves the EU. Data flows underpin the UK’s services sector and the failure to guarantee an agreement to freely move data would have a significant impact on UK tech businesses, especially SMEs. The group also discussed the importance of international tech talent and the importance of leveraging the UK’s competitive advantage in tech in an ever-digitising economy.

Another point companies raised was the importance of maintaining the UK’s unique tech ecosystem. It is the blend of tech talent, investors, startups and larger tech companies that makes the UK Europe’s tech nexus. Restricting access to international talent or scaleup opportunities will, over time, result in this ecosystem’s decline and make the UK less attractive as Europe’s home for tech.

techUK welcomes the Committee members’ thorough questions and willingness to engage on topics which go right to the heart of building a successful post-Brexit economy. As every sector increasingly becomes a tech sector, the UK’s digital economy will be the engine for a truly global Britain.

• Read our major new report The UK Digital Sectors After Brexit
• For more on visit techUK’s Brexit work at our Brexit Hub
• Here's our response to the Prime Minister’s Brexit speech and our response to the Government’s Industrial Strategy Green Paper