We ignore security threats in space at our peril December 17, 2024 The next battlefields will operate in orbit and failure to prepare will leave Britain vulnerable to new forms of conflict and economic disruption, says Ben Bridge If anyone was in any doubt the world is in its most precarious state since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, then news that Vladimir Putin plans to spend more [...]
How to make green energy cheap energy December 16, 2024 Green policies don’t win votes unless they cut bills too. Britain has a chance to transform its system to make energy affordable and grow the economy at the same time, says Octopus Energy Generation CEO Zoisa North-Bond The government’s clean power 2030 action plan is looking to ensure the economic benefits of clean energy and [...]
Growth is easier to destroy than to build December 16, 2024 Missions, milestones, foundations and pledges; Keir Starmer has unveiled them all since winning the election in July, but no amount of visionary rhetoric can compel an economy to grow. Since Labour’s election victory the British economy has whimpered to a halt. GDP flatlined in July and achieved a barely perceptible nudge up in August before contracting [...]
2025: The year ahead in tech December 16, 2024 2025 will be a defining year for businesses, marked by rapid technological shifts, political uncertainty, increased M&A, and intensifying competition. What else would a look ahead start with other than the much maligned AI? I have said on stage a lot this year I think AI is underhyped despite many saying the opposite. You have [...]
If we “re-wire” the state, how much should government do? December 16, 2024 There is a consensus that the state must be more efficient, but less attention has been paid to how much it should actually do, says Eliot Wilson The government has been talking in revolutionary terms recently about how Britain is run. When he appointed Sir Chris Wormald as the new cabinet secretary, the Prime Minister [...]
The Notebook: Why we need to change the narrative for female founders December 16, 2024 The City’s movers and shakers have their say, today it’s senior program manager for Europe at Village Capital Marta Zaccagnini The State of European Tech report is out. That time of year when those of us working on inclusive investing – investing in startups led by women, ethnic minorities and other groups underrepresented in the funding [...]
A requiem for UK equity capital markets December 14, 2024 London’s storied status as a global financial powerhouse is slipping away, and with every IPO that doesn’t materialise or company that decamps to the US, it becomes clearer that the City is in its death throes, says Owen Matthews As a former mid-cap ECM investment banker, I’ve watched with despair as the lights dim on [...]
Growth must go hand-in-hand with resilience December 13, 2024 To build a dynamic economy with thriving businesses, we must lay the groundwork and put resilience planning at the heart of business thinking, says Jordan Cummins If there is any certainty in business, it is the certainty of change. And the speed of that change in the last decade has been relentless. From geopolitical tensions [...]
Free trade is the future for post-Brexit Britain December 13, 2024 As Britain joins CPTPP, we are finally realising the benefits of an independent trade policy made possible by Brexit, says Fred de Frossard This weekend, the United Kingdom’s membership of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) is finally activated. The UK will be the twelfth member to join, taking the trade area’s [...]
The government’s industrial strategy is overlooking logistics December 13, 2024 The government has identified eight high-growth industries for priority support but they all depend on the industrial logistics sector, says James Craddock The industrial strategy green paper is a welcome declaration of intent from the government to drive productivity and economic growth over the next decade. It also offers a crucial opportunity for businesses to [...]