AI and defence demand for chips sends IQE shares soaring January 12, 2026 Shares in semiconductor giant IQE surged 25 per cent to 9.18p on Monday morning, after the wafer supplier said it expects its full year results to hit the upper end of its guidance, thanks to a recovery in AI and defence-related demand. The Cardiff-based company now forecasts 2025 revenue of around £97m, and adjusted earnings [...]
AI jobs defy hiring slump as tech talent cashes in January 7, 2026 With redundancies rising and hiring freezes spreading across much of UK PLC, the tech corner of the jobs market looks to be moving steadily in the opposite direction. New data shows tech roles are not just surviving the wider slowdown, but actively raising salary growth in 2026. Jobs platform Totaljobs found median advertised pay saw [...]
Industry boss slams Labour for lack of tech sector support January 5, 2026 The boss of the world’s biggest tech trade show yesterday took aim at the UK government’s support for tech startups, following a disappointing show of Brits at the annual tech conference. “The British presence has been spotty, which is surprising to me” compared to European rivals, announced Gary Shapiro, who has been with the CTA [...]
Tech hiring set to spike despite dire UK job market December 22, 2025 The UK labour market may be flashing warning signs, but demand for IT and tech professionals seems to be moving in the opposite direction. Over half of British businesses plan to expand their permanent IT and tech teams in the first half of next year, according to new research from recruitment firm Robert Half, a [...]
British founders dodged an exit tax – and bagged a few wins instead November 27, 2025 Startup founders went into this week’s Budget in a state of quasi-panic. Rumours of a so-called ‘exit tax’ on wealthy individuals, fuelled by weeks of speculation, sparked fears that Britain was about to hurt its own ecosystem. Far from taxing entrepreneurs on the way out, Rachel Reeves used her second Autumn Budget statement to shower [...]
Autumn Budget: Reeves bets on AI – but did she play her strongest card last week? November 26, 2025 Rachel Reeves delivered what many had dubbed the “most anticipated Budget in years”, with industry eyes fixed on how she would position the UK in the global AI race. But just minutes before she even stood up at the despatch box, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) unexpectedly leaked forecasts, fuelling speculation about the state [...]
Autumn Budget: R&D and AI push faces delivery questions November 26, 2025 Rachel Reeves’ Autumn Budget set out one of the largest public investments in UK research and innovation in decades, with billions earmarked for R&D, AI, and the industrial strategy. UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) will receive £38.6bn, including £9bn for government priority sectors such as AI, quantum computing, and engineering biology. Meanwhile, £7bn is set [...]
Autumn Budget: Reeves pledges local NHS care and £300m tech boost November 26, 2025 Rachel Reeves today unveiled a major NHS shake-up in her Autumn Budget, promising faster, local treatment and a tech-driven productivity boost. “We will renew our national health service”, Reeves claimed, highlighting a dual approach aimed at cutting waiting times while modernising frontline services. At the centre of the plan are 250 new Neighbourhood Health Centres, [...]
Autumn Budget: Will the UK keep its tech talent or drive it abroad? November 25, 2025 Time is running out for Rachel Reeves to reassure the sector she has spent months courting. With tax rises looking increasingly likely in Wednesday’s Autumn Budget, the mood across UK tech has shifted to concern, reviving the warning issued earlier this month by some of Britain’s most valuable founders: change course, or risk watching high-growth [...]
Reeves urged to back AI in Autumn Budget to drive growth November 25, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves is under pressure to deliver a decisive push for AI in tomorrow’s highly anticipated Autumn Budget, with industry leaders calling for billions in investment, thousands of jobs, and a clear roadmap for UK growth. The government has already attracted more than £78bn of private investment in AI, with a further £24.25bn committed [...]