The UK Cloud Awards celebrates innovation, technical excellence and dedication to customer service shown by cloud service providers throughout the UK’s cloud ecosystem.

The awards showcase not just how the UK Cloud market is thriving but also the confidence and leadership of UK public and private sector organisations in their adoption and use of cloud. Categories for the 2019 awards include Best Public Sector Cloud Project, Most Innovative SMB Cloud Solution and Best AI/ML Enabled Product or Service

Nominations for the awards close at midnight on 22 April 2019 so there is still time to enter. Click here for more information on the awards or to nominate an organisation or individual as Cloud Visionary of the Year!

Good luck and we look forward to seeing techUK members at the awards.

We are pleased to invite you to Electrical Safety First’s summit on Unravelling Product Risk Assessment (Post Incident), which is taking place on Tuesday 26th March at Mary Ward House, 5-7 Tavistock Place, London, WC1H 9SN from 1.30pm – 5.00pm. 

Being aware of a non-compliance or of reports of incidents or injuries involving ‘your’ product, deciding on what corrective action to take (if any) will almost certainly require an assessment of the potential risk to users of the product.

A comprehensive and well documented risk assessment will help your organisation to:

• Decide on what corrective action is the most appropriate
• Demonstrate to enforcement authorities that you are managing risk
• Maintain consumer confidence and therefore brand reputation by taking swift and appropriate action

Sometimes over-simplified or perceived as a ‘dark-art’ and something to be avoided, risk assessment (post incident) is often misunderstood or incorrectly applied. Following the recognised EU format our expert panel will look at several case studies and walk through the relevant factors to be considered in order to determine the level of risk.

This interactive afternoon seminar is aimed at manufactures, importers and retailers, although it is likely to be beneficial to enforcement authorities also.

Why attend?

ü  Excellent networking opportunities and access to key figures in the product safety sectors arena

ü  Enhance your personal and professional knowledge and experience

ü  Our events are informative and engaging, offering good practice advice on product safety

ü  Have your say by participating in our Q&A sessions

ü  All attendees will receive refreshments and lunch.

Ticket Price: £125 plus VAT (booking fees apply)

Book your ticket now via our online booking system

We have a limited number of places available so please book your ticket as soon as possible to avoid disappointment!

If you have any queries about the event, then contact Neelam Sheemar, Stakeholder and Events Manager on neelam.sheemar@electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk.

We look forward to seeing you at the event.

This event is supported by 

When the Troubled Families program was launched in 2011 by the UK coalition government, there were four key measures by which it would be judged. These were to get children back into school, reduce crime and anti-social behavior, get adults into work, and reduce the costs associated with troubled families that hit the public purse.

Initially, report after report detailed the shortcomings of the Troubled Families program – with a government-led study revealing that it had been “unable to find consistent evidence that the Troubled Families program had any significant or systematic impact” and there’s been little suggestion of significant progress.

Despite this, the intention behind Troubled Families remains good – and there are authorities delivering positive results due to it.  Let’s remember that this is the government looking for proactive ways to improve the lives and life chances of thousands of people – and changing the way the public sector can support the households most in need. And with time still left before the program ends in 2020, opportunities remain for local authorities to further access the central funding pot.

The key, however, will be looking at where Troubled Families initiatives are working, how they are working, and trying to emulate their success. For me, this is where solutions that efficiently collate, analyze and contextualize data can really make a difference.

Data Gives A Helping Hand To The Government And Troubled Families

Falling through the cracks

Data Gives A Helping Hand To The Government And Troubled Families

Let’s return to those government good intentions. Under Phase 2 of the Troubled Families program, if a local authority can identify two of the six criteria that determine a troubled family, they can obtain funding support from a central budget of £720 million to an agreed level for each organization.

Yet, while there have been numerous successes, there’s a clear issue that many experience when identifying families for inclusion in the program and accessing the funding. And from what I’ve seen and learned, it’s all about data.

Today, across the country, busy staff within local authorities are spending large amounts of time and effort trying to derive insight from information stored in numerous systems across their organizations. The inherent challenges this presents are often discussed in tech circles: siloed and fragmented data, inefficient processes, errors, time-consuming and manual work. And with only a limited number truly getting “full sight” of the data, building a holistic view is very difficult – making it really challenging to quickly identify those families who are most at need and demonstrating that their situation has improved. This lack of evidence can prevent local authorities from obtaining that essential central government funding from the Troubled Families program.

The MHCLG document Supporting disadvantaged families: Annual Report of the Troubled Families Programme 2017-18 (published in March 2018) provides the status of claims to date for all organizations enrolled in the program. Using that data, on the assumption that local authorities can claim 100% of what they are entitled to, there was a shortfall at March 2018 of £356 million still to be claimed. The program finishes in March 2020, but the majority of families need to be identified by March 2019 in order for the funded intervention to realistically occur and significant, sustained improvement to be demonstrated.

Fortunately, now there is a better way to do things.

Making positive change

Data Gives A Helping Hand To The Government And Troubled Families

It’s true that there is a lot of data available to public sector organizations about families and households in their area. But, as we know, much of it is either inaccessible, hard to see in context with other sets, or difficult to analyze. And that’s what needs to change.

By fusing and combining data sets from multiple sources, it’s possible to build a single view of a family, with rules applied that can generate alerts that identify eligibility for funding in the first instance – then hopefully an improvement in circumstances further down the line. 

Our work begins with that data-driven view of the individual/family, enabling early identification, real-time insight, and positive intervention. The only significant challenge is how many councils have – or rather, haven’t – invested in this kind of data-driven solution.

Unlike the private sector, public sector organizations have been slower off the mark to commit large efforts into the use of data as a strategic enabler. And others don’t see an easy start point or clear approach. Both things go against the idea of having a data-driven government.

The net result here is that problems with analyzing, managing, and deriving value from data end up with authorities being unable to maximize their agreed share of the money on the table now – but will soon be off the table. Fortunately, many know they have a problem. They just need to get on to solving it.

Prevention beats cure

As with many societal issues, intervention at the right moment is far more effective than trying to deal with the consequences of a problem once it’s happened. That’s a core part of the reasoning behind the Troubled Families program. If local public services organizations can spot issues or patterns, they can make the move to resolve them and prevent compounding issues. But without the ability to accurately identify potentially at-risk families, getting the program resources to make a difference is going to be extremely hard work.

Remember – this government money is available right now. But it’s also a case of “use it or lose it.” The sooner a structural change around data interrogation in the public sector is made, the better for a lot of at-risk families.

Find out more about how SAP technology can help you analyze data on Troubled Families.

The UK Government recently published its Initial National Cyber Security Skills Strategy with the mission to increase cyber security capacity across all sectors, to ensure that the UK has the right level and blend of skills required to maintain our resilience to cyber threats and be the world's leading digital economy.

Publication of the initial strategy introduced a Call for Views, providing all those with an interest in cyber security the opportunity help shape and further refine the strategy proposals.

DCMS is holding a number of strategy stakeholder feedback sessions during February 2019 - as an opportunity for industry to put forward their views and discuss with colleagues including across government, industry, academia, charities and training providers.

The first of these events will be held here at techUK. To book a place, please register on Eventbrite.

Further events outside of London will be held on the following dates. Details on how to register will be published soon and promoted on the techUK website.

Birmingham - Thursday 14 February
Belfast - Tuesday 19 February
Glasgow - Wednesday 20 February
Cardiff - to be confirmed
Manchester - to be confirmed

Agenda
Registration: 09.30 - 10.00
Welcome: 10.00 - 10.10
Strategic context: 10.10 - 10.30
Call for views questions: 10.30 - 11.00
Breakout sessions 11.00 - 12.15
Breakout feedback: 12.15 - 12.45
Next steps and close: 12.45 - 13.00
Lunch and networking: 13.00 - 13.30

In this report, the European Banking authority (EBA) advises the Commission that they should carry out a 'comprehensive cost/benefit analysis' to determine whether any regulatory action is required to cover crypto-assets.

Crypto-assets, virtual currencies, crypto-currencies are a new and unregulated field and, which, together with the emergence of Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) as a way to raise funds, has caused some concerns among regulators. As a result, the European Commission asked the EBA to look into the sector and report with its advice.

The report makes the following findings:

• Currently activity in crypto-assets is limited in the EU though expected to rise.
• Most crypto-assets typically fall outside current EU financial services regulation.
• These assets do, potentially, raise concerns over consumer protection, operational resilience and market integrity.

The Report tracks the emergence of crypto-assets and analyses whether they fall within the E-money Directive or the Payment Services Directive 2. (Note that European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has also done an analysis re whether they may be 'financial instruments' under MiFID)

The EBA notes that there has been uncertainty about the applicability of current financial services law, which has led to diverging approaches in different countries. Also, some national jurisdictions have taken action in issuing warnings to consumers or are considering banning the sale of some products.

The Report also examines the availability of accounting and prudential supervisory powers which cover the activities of financial institutions dealing with crypto-assets.

In conclusion, the EBA expects the use of crypto-assets to continue to evolve rapidy and advises continued monitoring as well as a cost/benefit analysis. 

Today the Tech Talent Charter published its first annual benchmarking report, reporting on its signatories’ state of play on gender representation in technical roles; active diversity and inclusion policies; and shortlisting female talent at interviews.

There were a number of positive findings. Namely that Charter’s signatories were ahead of the curve in many respects. Signatories gender diversity averaged at 26.13%, steps ahead of wider tech averages which put female representation between 11% and 19%. Similarly, over 70.71% of signatories had active diversity and inclusion policies in place and an additional 27.27% planned to roll out such policies in the coming year. The gravitas with which signatories are honouring their commitments to diversity and inclusion is impressive and must be celebrated. But, whilst the Charter’s numbers are positive, it is clear gender parity is a way off and as the Charter enters into its next year we must push even harder as a sector to promote diversity.

The Charter does not push for blanket diversity and inclusion policies, nor does it attempt to reinvent the wheel on possible remedies. At techUK, we believe this is crucial to the success of the Charter and the spirit embedded in it.  No two companies are the same and therefore blanket approaches to diversity simply do not work. Similarly, the Charter’s promotion of collaboration and cross-industry learnings is invaluable to signatories. The community this creates of companies listening and learning from one another is exactly how we will achieve stronger gender diversity in tech.

techUK is a proud strategic partner and sponsor of the Charter. We were there at its inception have fully supported the organisation as it became independent and has started to grow and flourish. The Charter now has a footprint across thirteen different sectors and counting (demonstrated just how core digital is across the economy).  

The Charter represents the very best of our sector – our openness, willingness to learn from each other and collaborate with our competitors. 2018 was just the start of this journey and we look forward to all that 2019 holds!

First published at FDM Group

FDM’s Getting Back to Business programme recently hit a proud milestone, which saw trainee Liz Hutton become their 100th placed consultant in the UK. This programme is specifically designed to provide employment opportunities for high-calibre individuals who have taken an extended break in their career, facilitating their re-entry into the workplace. Liz spoke about her journey through the FDM Glasgow Academy and how she decided it was time to get back to business.

Before your career break, what did you do?

I started off with a science degree and completed a PhD in Veterinary Medicine. My research explored how rats process information from the environment. Rats rely on their whiskers for their sensory information (cats and dogs use vision), and their whiskers are as sensitive as our fingertips. After my PhD, I worked initially in research and then moved into financial services, where I performed a number of jobs before focusing in taxes. I completed two sets of professional tax exams and worked in third-party fund administration, discretionary asset management and retail banking.

After working on tax projects and enjoying the challenges, I decided that I’d like to move more into the project world and less as a tax specialist. I found it difficult to get project-based opportunities through employment agencies, as the general trend was that I was seen as a tax specialist and I’d not be considered for project roles. My confidence in my ability to make my transition gradually eroded. A couple of agencies were very good, but there was a limit in the market for tax projects to enable me to make my transition.

How did you come across the programme?

I was scanning for jobs in Edinburgh on the S1 jobs website when I saw an advert for the programme. The FDM team helped build my confidence, and it feels great to be part of such a supportive team. Their course is structured to give you a solid basis in everything you need. Week one was especially valuable in helping me talk about me and my achievements to other people. It’s full, varied and challenging, but I do feel it is providing a sound base from which I can build in my first placement in Bid Management at HSBC in Edinburgh.

The most positive thing about FDM is how it differs from most agencies, who simply match job titles and keywords. FDM understands skill sets, and can articulate that to an employer. The employer, in turn, can have confidence in an honest appraisal of a candidate, rather than the usual mass-sending of CV’s in the hope that one hits the mark. I’m looking forward to moving into my placement and having a chance to learn and develop. I am confident that it’s not one-sided and I have something valuable to offer FDM’s client!

At FDM, we recruit, train and deploy talented people who are driven to succeed. We are a multi-award winning, FTSE 250 employer.

We realise the challenges that many people face when looking to return to work. The Getting Back to Business Programme is specifically designed to address these challenges head on. We provide intensive training to teach new skills, refresh existing knowledge and help individuals regain the confidence to return to a career in business.

Our seven week training course will ensure you have the most up to date knowledge and skills, as well as the confidence to return to the corporate world. Upon completion of training, you will be employed full time as an FDM consultant and will work on-site with one or more of our prestigious clients.

We are currently looking for technically minded returners to join our programme in Leeds, and will be hosting assessments on Monday 18th February and Tuesday 5th March, with a start date of Monday 25th March. Apply today to restart your career in tech.

We have business programmes in London and Glasgow throughout 2019, our open evenings can be viewed here.

Rarely a day goes past without the media promoting the latest piece of artificial intelligence or automated technology that will change the workplace forever. However, once you’ve removed all the hype behind these technologies, what are there benefits that your business can reap today?

What is AI and automation?

There’s certainly plenty of misunderstandings about the potential of artificial intelligence and automation within the workplace. Firstly, many people confuse the terms AI and automation and the difference between them. Thankfully, both terms can be easily simplified: AI attempts to mimic the human ability to think and do while automation follows pre-programmed orders and rules, as shown in the graphic below:

Will robots take our jobs?

Many UK workers fear that a high number of jobs may be lost as a result of the wide-scale implementation of AI and automation. However, while automation can be brilliant at completing monotonous, repetitive tasks and AI can be programmed to mimic human ability, these technologies aren’t currently capable of creative nor innovative thinking.

Therefore, when businesses implement these technologies, it opens up the door for staff to move into more innovative roles, which require creative thinking or working alongside AI to become more productive.

What are the benefits of AI and automation for small businesses?

Lastly, there is a belief that the benefits of AI and automation are reserved for big businesses with big budgets. However, similarly to how personal home assistants have become relatively cheap for households, there are many ways small businesses and start-ups can take advantage of these technologies today.

Whether it’s getting bots to respond to your emails, sharing documents via the cloud, automated invoicing and accounting or using chatbots, these technologies have the potential to make a huge difference to the productivity and profits of businesses of all sizes.

Find out more about the business benefits of these technologies in Sage’s latest guide to AI and automation.

@sageuk

As we enter 2019, the Defence sector must look to the impacts of the digital revolution on the private sector to deliver meaningful change. In this insight techUK  looks forward to the year ahead and highlights three key areas to watch.

Faster development cycles and more agile procurement are needs not wants

As technological developments across sectors continue at rapid pace, Defence will come under further pressure to act at speed, both in terms of developing its capability requirements and also in the way it runs its business. Whilst the well-established CADMID procurement model has served Defence well for large, complex platforms, it is clearly not compatible with emerging digital technologies which can be continuously updated and upgraded.

In the private sector, weekly updates and patching are standard, and with the MOD utilising more connected devices and kit it will need to find a procurement model which can deal with this new flexibility. The days of analogue, non-connected equipment are well and truly over, as technology continues to bleed into everything from clothing to complex weapon systems.

As such, the MOD must identify where commercial practices and policies can and should change to provide the Front Line Command’s with a route to market for emerging and disruptive technologies. techUK will continue to lobby for a more agile commercial framework through our Defence Commercial Business Forum.

Digital Twins – more efficient operations

During this sustained period of budgetary pressures, technology can and should be used more to help the MOD both identify efficiency savings and increase the effectiveness of its operations. Those tasks traditionally seen as dull and monotonous like logistics, administration and maintenance offer significant opportunities in this space. techUK will  continue to make the point that in order to achieve this, investment in new technology needs to be at the very least maintained at current levels if it is to deliver long term financial benefits to the MOD.

Perhaps the most timely example of this can be seen in the concept of the ‘digital twin’, which generates real-time digital replicas of physical assets, enabling end users to reap the benefits of data analytics, reduced operating costs, early identification of maintenance issues and improved performance. Implementation of technologies like this can only benefit large, costly and complex MOD systems.

Cyber’s significance will continue to grow

Cyber security will continue to be at the cutting edge of technological development in 2019. The exponential increase in the number of devices becoming digitally enabled and connected we are witnessing presents serious challenges for Defence and in the private sector, with tangible impacts upon the physical world becoming more common. This is perhaps best typified by the recent disruption at Gatwick Airport in December 2018. Digitally enabled technologies can both disrupt and protect physical infrastructure in all sectors with complex requirements.

For Defence, this means cyber security is and will continue to be a critical priority, with new developments allowing the protection of CNI and frontline operations, but also giving us an advantage over adversaries already investing heavily in cyber and counter-cyber technologies.

techUK will continue to work with the MOD & wider government to understand its future approach to cyber security through its Cyber Programme and through its Information Superiority Forum. We will be engaging across the Front Line Commands to enable them to better understand how industry can help augment the UK’s cyber capability.

Waste policy has seldom been under as much scrutiny as is the case in the last year. In the wake of David Attenborough’s expose of the plastic threat to marine habitats, consumer interest in resources, materials and waste policy has sky rocketed.

No clearer can this be seen than in the Treasury’s recent Call for Evidence on single use plastics which received the highest number of respondents than any other consultation in its history.

It is in this context that the Government published its English strategy for Resources and Waste shortly before Christmas. Under the leadership of Secretary of State for the Environment, Michael Gove, officials had been given reign to produce a bold and radical strategy. And there is every chance that if this strategy is enacted it will deliver on this mandate.

There is a lot of detail still be worked up. The strategy signals intent rather than specifics. But rather than just a focus on landfills and incinerators, this strategy considers what can be done upstream to limit the amount of waste that is ultimately generated.

What’s clear is that the government is keen to encourage products to be designed to last longer and are easier to recycle. To achieve this a variety of instruments are being considered:

•          Use of eco-design to set minimum requirements for resource efficient product design with a commitment to match or exceed the EU’s eco-design standards for material efficiency and to mandate the availability of spare parts.

•          Reform of extended producer responsibility regimes. There are currently four in place within the UK covering packaging, waste electronics and electrical equipment (WEEE), vehicles and batteries. Over the next three years we can expect to see a roll out of these regimes adapted so that producers bear the full costs associated with the collection, treatment and recycling of these products, with some modulation depending on product design.  The role of retailers and the regulation of distance sellers selling product via internet platforms into the UK is also likely to feature as will data security on devices once they have become waste (which was, weirdly, missing from GDPR). Consultations will be rolled out over the coming years starting with packaging (due quarter one) and with WEEE and batteries expected in 2020 (with much of the policy development taking place this year).  techUK will be taking an active role in these discussions.

•          Labels, labels, labels. There is a prevailing school of thought within environment policy making that if you want to drive consumer behaviour you create a label and its no surprise that Defra have signalled an intent to explore the role of ecolabels to communicate a products’ environmental performance. Whether this gains any traction, it remains to be seen. Plans to introduce carbon labelling fell flat when it failed to resonate with consumers. The EU’s eco-flower ecolabel also failed to chime with UK consumers. Guarantees and warranties will also be under scrutiny to assess when the regime could be tweaked to encourage more repair.

Elsewhere, among the policy announcements the Strategy announces plans to digitalise the movement of waste, more consistency in the materials collected from household, and a movement away from weight-based targets to “impact-based” targets. And more besides.

techUK will be working with members in responding to the Strategy through its consumer electronic  manufacturers Waste and Resources Group. This will be complimented by quarterly waste policy teleconferences, which is open to all techUK members and associate members. To register interest please drop us a line.

One quote that continually sticks in my mind is from the Greek philosopher Heraclitus who said "The only thing that is constant is change". How very true.

Over the five years I have been at Costain the business has changed significantly, and continues to transform in response to changing market conditions. The pace of change is really quite phenomenal, largely thanks to the rapid technological advances that are leaving most industries wondering how to keep pace.

So given technology is advancing at an unbelievable rate and methodologies are evolving to cope with the pace of change, the question remains; what will emerge that will be transformational to UK infrastructure?

My view for a few years has been that Digital Twin is the largest opportunity for UK infrastructure as we stand today, which will be further boosted in the future by quantum computing. 
Certainly, within industry this view is starting to gain traction, not just within our technology communities but importantly executive boards.  

Digital transformation, which unlocks the Digital Twin, is recognised by the Digital Taskforce and forms a key part of realising productivity gains set out in the ICE Project 13 report.
The release of the Gemini Principles by the Centre for Digital Built Britain, which I had the pleasure of reviewing, is an excellent first step in starting to shape the principles and guidelines for a national digital twin. This report defines an infrastructure digital twin as: (in the context of Digital Built Britain) “a realistic digital representation of assets, processes or systems in the built or natural environment”.

Why do us digital twin enthusiasts believe it has such significant value?

To answer this, you need to get into the detail of what a digital twin really is. If you strip away the applications, technologies and processes that make up a digital twin you are left with enterprise lifecycle information management. Fundamentally a digital twin is about effective, consistent management of information relating to our UK infrastructures, which will unlock insight not currently possible today. Whilst this sounds very simplistic the reality is really very different; with a background in control system engineering where digital twin has evolved, I have first-hand knowledge of just how wonderfully complex these systems can be.

This complexity however is overshadowed by the value that is created as result. Having data from disparate sources integrated across an enterprise can drive tremendous efficiencies as we have started to see with Building Information Modelling (BIM) and other digital transformation activities.
In control systems engineering in manufacturing for example - my background - the skill is in integrating what were previously isolated systems to create a fully automated process. With digital twin this will typically extend to enterprise resource planning integration and some form of execution system to optimise enterprise as a whole.

From experience, productivity gains or increases in output are typically north of 20% through integration and process automation. Whole life cost and product management can then be continually improved and optimised using advanced analysis, unlocked through the digital twin.

Of course doing this within the confines of a factory is vastly different from the challenges faced in infrastructure, where assets are incredibly complex, often bespoke and geographically diverse. However, the underlying principles of consistent information management through integration of silo'd data and streamlined, automated process is applicable to any industry. No doubt given the incredibly diverse nature of the supply chains a national digital twin will unlock new opportunities for revenue with a more collaborative, integrated approach to the delivery and management of UK infrastructures.

To test some of these beliefs and ambitions we are collaborating with the Digital Taskforce, British Standards Institute, PETRAS, owner operators of UK infrastructure and supply chains to start to put some of the theory into practical application. This collaboration will ultimately de-risk investments across the value chain and provide valuable feedback to the Digital Taskforce who will be setting policy.

When we get this right in the UK, I have no doubt we will unlock international opportunities for UK PLC and all those committed to its success.

Kevin Reeves will be speaking at techUK's event, Brit-twin: towards a national digital twin, on Tuesday 22nd January. If you would like to read more about the event, you can access the agenda and register to attend here.

In December techUK polled our members to seek their views on what should happen in the event that Parliament should fail to vote in favour of the Withdrawal Agreement. The poll was undertaken ahead of the meaningful vote that was scheduled for 11 December. That vote was pulled but yesterday Parliament finally had the opportunity to make its opinion known on the deal.  

The result was an overwhelming defeat, losing by 432 votes to 202, the biggest ever defeat of a Governing Party. The result of the vote shows that the Withdrawal Agreement and Political Declaration will not receive Parliamentary support as things currently stand.

In response to the defeat of the Government’s deal, techUK is today publishing the full results of our survey setting out views on a range of Brexit issues. With the Prime Minister suggesting she now intends to reach out across Parliament to explore options, we hope that the results provide some insight into the views of the techUK members who are building the businesses of the future.

Methodology

The full results of our survey can be found here.

In order to ensure the anonymity of those taking part and to provide support on the design of the questions, techUK commissioned Ipsos MORI to conduct an online survey. It ran between 30 November to 10 December 2018, with all of the subsequent analysis and interpretation undertaken by techUK. 

In terms of turnout, we received a 36 per cent response rate, meaning 276 members responded out of the 773 who received the invite to participate. Given that many members have policies against engaging in surveys, and the short timescales for the survey, this is viewed as a good turn out and on par with surveys conducted by other organisations.

So what did our survey say?

No to No Deal

Our survey asked a number of questions about members’ views of the impact of No Deal. Of those responding to the poll 70 per cent said that they believe that a No Deal outcome in March 2019 would have a very negative or fairly negative impact on their business. The survey also shows that 84 per cent of respondents believe the UK overall is unprepared for No Deal.

The survey further suggests that while most larger firms (250+ staff) have taken steps to prepare for a No Deal Brexit, many smaller tech business are unprepared for the UK leaving without a deal, with 65 per cent of smaller firms (<50 staff), and 46 per cent of mid-sized businesses (50-249 staff) who responded to the survey, saying they have taken no active steps to prepare for No Deal.

When asked why they have not taken steps to prepare for No Deal, many firms said it was because they were unable to predict what impact it would have (49 per cent) or were unsure what steps to take (37 per cent).

techUK has voiced real concerns about the impact of No Deal on the sector, most recently here, where we set out just some of the implications No Deal might have. With the failure of the Withdrawal Agreement yesterday, it now seems clear that the Government should look to take No Deal off the table.

What should happen if Parliament rejects the deal?

One of the key questions our survey asked was what members thought about the options available if Parliament rejected the Withdrawal Agreement. Our poll shows that, as has now transpired, if the Government were to lose the vote on the Withdrawal Agreement and Political Declaration, around half of those who responded to the survey (51 per cent of the 276 respondents) said that supporting calls for another referendum would be their first preference choice. Sixty three per cent of members selected a second referendum as one of their top three preferences.

However, in a sign of the complexity of the issue, supporting calls for a delay to Article 50 in order to allow time for further negotiations, which received 16 per cent of first preferences, was put in the top three preferences of 64 per cent of respondents.

Only 11 per cent of members responding viewed accepting No Deal as their first preference, with less than one third (27 per cent) listing it in their top three preferences. Very few respondents (2 per cent) selected a General Election as a first preference and only 25 per cent included it in their top three preferences.

techUK has consistently warned of the need for an orderly exit, avoiding No Deal, so as to allow for close future alignment with the EU. We supported the Withdrawal Agreement as a reasonable way of securing an orderly Brexit that secures our policy objectives. You can find out more about our position on the Withdrawal Agreement here.

What kind of final deal?

When asked about what kind of relationship the UK should seek with the EU after Brexit, six in ten respondents (59 per cent) supporting closer alignment compared to 29 per cent supporting looser alignment.

techUK believes this runs counter to the view expressed in the Chequers White Paper that more flexibility over the rules surrounding the digital sector would be preferable post-Brexit, even if it meant losing some access to EU markets.

This also reconfirms techUK’s view that a simple ‘Canada-style’ Free Trade Agreement would not be acceptable in terms of meeting the policy needs of many tech businesses. We published a blog on this issue earlier this week.

What we’ve said about the survey

techUK CEO, Julian David, has given his view on the survey results, saying:

“techUK has consistently warned of the dire risks of a disorderly exit from the EU. The Withdrawal Agreement would have provided a workable route forward, but this has been overwhelmingly rejected by Parliament. The UK now risks No Deal by default unless the deadlock can be broken.”

“Our polling suggests that many of our small and mid-sized members in particular do not have the resources or information needed to effectively prepare for No Deal. They want a deal that works and a future relationship that retains a high level of alignment and access to the EU market on issues that matter to the sector, such as the free flow of data, regulation and the availability of talent. We believe a simple ‘Canada-style’ free trade agreement would not be an acceptable outcome for most of techUK’s members.”

“Parliament has rejected the Withdrawal Agreement and now needs to find a workable way forward to break the deadlock. All alternative options now need to be considered including putting the question back to the public.”

The press release on the findings can be found here. 

Join TechUK and Amazon Web Services at our event for Local Government Technology Partners. We’ll be joined by technology leaders from two Local Authorities, who’ll give their perspective on the market and why cloud-based technology solutions make sense for their businesses.

AWS will also discuss the special support packages they are offering TechUK members to support your journey to the cloud. As a follow up session, AWS will be hosting a dedicated workshop for Local Government Technology Partners and ISVs to help planning and validating AWS as a cloud platform for future SaaS solutions.

The Government Technology Code of Practice is a set of criteria to help government design, build and buy better technology. It’s used as a cross-government agreed standard in the spend control process. It is part of the Government Transformation Strategy.

 Tech suppliers to the public sector need to understand the implications of the Code when it comes to developing and delivering digital solutions for public services. Whether you’re a public sector sales lead, a digital engagement lead, a tech strategist or part of the CTO’s team, you’ll want to attend this event to ensure you fully understand what the Code means for you and your company.

At this event the GDS Technology Policy Team will brief tech suppliers on:

• The background and rationale for the Code
• The key features of the Code
• Public authorities adoption and adherence (& lessons learned to date)
• What suppliers need to know
• How suppliers can help and feedback

 The speakers will also touch on the emerging introduction of the Code into the Local Authority space through the Local Authority Digital Declaration (of which techUK was a co-publisher alongside MHCLG earlier this summer).

 This event is a must for incumbent and aspiring tech suppliers to the public sector.

This official Government event is a world-class opportunity to meet, network and discuss the latest advances in delivering national security and resilience with UK suppliers, colleagues and Government officials. The 2019 event will be hosted by the Joint Security & Resilience Centre and for the first time in its history, will be attended by the Home Secretary, alongside the Minister for Security and Economic Crime.

The Minister for Security and Economic Crime, The Rt Hon Ben Wallace MP, recently discussed with Alan Peaford, Editor in Chief of Farnborough International News Network (FINN), the importance of public-private security sector partnerships, the role of the Joint Security and Resilience Centre (JSaRC) and why the next edition of the Home Office’s Security and Policing (S&P) 2019 is a must attend event.

For more information click here

To register to attend click here

In response to the overwhelming rejection of the Withdrawal Agreement by Parliament, techUK has today released results of a poll showing that 70 per cent of its members who responded to the survey believe that a No Deal Brexit in March 2019 would have a negative impact on their business. The survey also shows that 84 per cent of respondents believe the UK overall is unprepared for No Deal.

The poll, which was conducted in December ahead of the planned Parliamentary vote on the Withdrawal Agreement, sought the views of techUK members on what they thought should happen if Parliament failed to support the Withdrawal Agreement. techUK has consistently warned of the risks of No Deal and the need for an orderly exit that would allow for a close future relationship with the EU.

When asked to rank their preferences for what techUK should do if the Prime Minister’s deal failed to secure the support of Parliament, 51 per cent of the 276 respondents said that supporting calls for another referendum would be their first preference choice. Sixty three per cent of members selected a second referendum as one of their top three preferences. The second strongest first preference (16 per cent) was to support calls for a delay to Article 50 in order to allow time for further negotiations. It had almost equal support to a second referendum (64 per cent) when all three top preferences were taken into account.

Only 11 per cent of members responding viewed accepting No Deal as their first preference, with less than one third (27 per cent) listing it in their top three preferences. Very few respondents (2 per cent) selected a General Election as a first preference and only 25 per cent included it in their top three preferences.

The survey further suggests that while most larger firms (250+ staff) have taken steps to prepare for a No Deal Brexit, many smaller tech business are unprepared for the UK leaving without a deal, with 65 per cent of smaller firms (<50 staff), and 46 per cent of mid-sized businesses (50-249 staff) who responded to the survey, saying they have taken no active steps to prepare for No Deal. When asked why they have not taken steps to prepare for No Deal, many firms said it was because they were unable to predict what impact it would have (49 per cent) or were unsure what steps to take (37 per cent).

The survey also suggests that the majority of techUK members want a close relationship with the EU after Brexit, with six in ten respondents (59 per cent) supporting closer alignment with the EU compared to ‘looser’ alignment (29 per cent). techUK believes this runs counter to the view expressed in the Chequers White Paper that more flexibility over the rules surrounding the digital sector would be preferable post Brexit, even if it meant losing some access to EU markets.

Commenting on the survey, techUK CEO, Julian David, said:

“techUK has consistently warned of the dire risks of a disorderly exit from the EU. The Withdrawal Agreement would have provided a workable route forward, but this has been overwhelmingly rejected by Parliament. The UK now risks No Deal by default unless the deadlock can be broken.”

“Our polling suggests that many of our small and mid-sized members in particular do not have the resources or information needed to effectively prepare for No Deal. They want a deal that works and a future relationship that retains a high level of alignment and access to the EU market on issues that matter to the sector, such as the free flow of data, regulation and the availability of talent. We believe a simple ‘Canada-style’ free trade agreement would not be an acceptable outcome for most of techUK’s members.”

“Parliament has rejected the Withdrawal Agreement and now needs to find a workable way forward to break the deadlock. All alternative options now need to be considered including putting the question back to the public.”

ENDS

Notes to editors:

• Find the full blog post with analysis here.
• Full results of the survey can be found here.
• The survey was conducted online through Ipsos MORI and ran from 30 November to 10 December 2018, with all analysis and interpretation undertaken by techUK
• They survey was issued to 773 techUK members and received 276 responses (a 36 per cent response rate).  Data are unweighted.

Outer space is difficult. If you're not an astrophysicist, a rocket scientist or an aerospace engineer, the space sector can seem pretty inaccessible. Space 101 will change that so that you can find your path in the NewSpace world.

Through conversation with NewSpace entrepreneurs, established space companies and public organisations, we'll break down the jargon surrounding NewSpace, examining the challenges and opportunities that the space sector has right now, as well as where the space sector is heading.

This event is for anyone who wants to help put humanity into space, but doesn't know how they can help. If you're keen to make humans an interplanetary species, want to start a moon base or understand how satellites work, this is the event for you.

We will start with a panel discussion from industry experts talking about what New Space is and what the opportunities are in space. Then, you will have the time to discuss what you think are the possibilities are for further exploration.

After that, you will get the chance to have further conversations with the panel experts about the resources available to you all. Then you will get an opportunity to network and enjoy some refreshments. We are running a second, partner event on January 29th which will cover design processes, business thinking and how that applies to Space.

More information & registration details here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/space101-what-is-newspace-tickets-51756090861

Date: Friday 12 April 2019
Time: 10:30- 13:00 (registration from 10:00, event to be followed by refreshments) 
Venue: techUK, 10 St Bride St, London EC4A 4AD

Speakers to be confirmed

Please remember that the techUK Conference Suite is wireless enabled so you can network, catch-up on emails and do your 'last minute' calls, with full access to printing and refreshments before and after the meeting.

On 7 January, prime minister Theresa May took what must have felt like a welcome break from the Parliamentary turmoil over Brexit to launch the NHS Long Term Plan.

Standing alongside NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens at Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool, she claimed its publication was a “historic moment” that would “secure the future of the NHS for generations to come.”

But to make sense of its 134 pages, the plan is probably better seen as an attempt to keep a lot of stakeholders happy; or at least on board.

Say thank you for the birthday present  

The need for another NHS plan became evident as soon as May found a “birthday present” for the NHS’ 70th anniversary last July.

In the race of sustained lobbying, she pledged an extra £20.5 billion a year for the NHS in England by 2023-24, with matching increases for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

At 3.4% a year (reduced by adjustments for inflation, pay increases, and cuts to training and public health budgets) this was a lot less than think-tanks, professional bodies and unions had been looking for.

Nevertheless, the government set five tests for the NHS to meet in return for its cash. The first two, inspired by the Treasury, are financial.

The plan promises an “accelerated turnaround process” for the 30 worst performing trusts in the country, plus a rebooted efficiency drive, to get hospitals back into balance by 2020-21 and the NHS into balance by 2023-24.

It also commits the service to generating productivity savings of 1.1% a year. But, as journalists noted, it doesn’t meet another Treasury demand, for the NHS to start hitting waiting time targets again (an issue that will have to be revisited).

Another reorganisation is underway

The other tests were to: reduce growth in demand, which the plan addresses at length in chapter two, with its focus on prevention and reducing inequalities; to reduce unjustified variation in performance; and to make better use of capital assets.

After that, its text gives most stakeholders something. Chancellor Philip Hammond was able to announce a mental health programme in his budget, and May was able to announce primary and community care investments in the run-up to Christmas.

Health and social care secretary Matt Hancock was able to announce a “digital first” approach to GP and outpatient services that captured headlines on the day. And Stevens was able to focus on rebooting the sustainability agenda set out in the Five Year Forward View in 2014.

This aimed to reduce friction and improve efficiency by moving towards population-level planning and budgeting, creating integrated health and care services, and delivering care closer to home.

The plan says what used to be called accountable care organisations and are now called integrated care services will be rolled-out across the country by April 2021, and the number of clinical commissioning groups will be reduced to one per ICS in most cases; significantly changing the customer landscape for IT suppliers.

Technology enabled at its heart?

The need to address different, and in some cases competing agendas leave references to health IT scattered across the plan; although the good news is that it recognises that none of them will be achieved without the creative adoption of new technology.

The main tech chapter, chapter five, focuses on supporting the Forward View agenda by outlining a new model for integrated care or personal health records at a local health and care record exemplar level, from which data can be extracted for population health management, research and other uses.

Patients will be able to contribute via a care plan, while a ‘new service model’ will see them using transactional health services via the NHS App or third-party applications using the NHS Login.

The digitisation of hospitals will be addressed via an extension of the global digital exemplar programme, an “accelerated” roll-out of electronic patient records, and new cloud offers. However, key details on architecture, standards, and indeed funding are missing (or, hopefully, to come).  

Pitfalls and hard choices ahead

There are plenty of other obstacles ahead to realising both the plan and its technology ambitions. NHS performance deteriorated in December, and the attention of ministers and senior managers is being directed towards Brexit.

Some think-tanks have argued that a lack of staff is now as big a threat to health and care as a lack of money; and there was widespread disappointment that the plan was not accompanied by a social care green paper.

Overall, reaction has been that the aims and goals of the plan look right: but there will be huge challenges in meeting them. Also, that if the NHS is to have any chance of doing that, what it needs now is a detailed, costed implementation plan.

A longer version of this article has been published on the Highland Marketing website. Highland Marketing also produced a detailed briefing on the plan and reaction to it for clients and prospects, that has now been made available via an online link. Receive more analysis like this by signing up to our Healthcare Roundup newsletter.