The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology has published a roadmap for “reaching tech superpower status by 2030” through a new International Technology Strategy.

At the launch of the new Strategy, the Foreign Secretary and the Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary set out how the UK will build on the strength of its tech sector, which is already the largest in Europe and the third highest valued in the world after the USA and China.

The Government says that the publication of the Integrated Review Refresh identified that authoritarian regimes are using technology as a tool of oppression, with far-reaching consequences for the security and prosperity of the British people.

The International Technology Strategy sets out the UK’s alternative. The Government says that the UK, guided by four principles to be: (i) open; (ii) responsible; (iii) secure; and (iv) resilient, will “shape the future of technology in a way that promotes its use positively, and drives innovation and UK tech leadership, while boosting our security from new and emerging threats”.

The Government says that it will work closely with governments, academia and industry to leverage the UK’s strengths in technology through international partnerships with established and emerging science and technology nations.

The Government says that investing in the UK’s thriving tech sector will directly contribute to growing the economy. It will also strengthen the UK’s position on the world stage while forging long-term links that will promote the UK as a place for investment and collaboration in the technologies of the future.

The Government will expand the UK’s network of tech envoys and expertise to create an extensive tech diplomacy network. It will use this as a platform to enforce the UK’s principles, challenge authoritarian narratives and drive international collaboration with industry. Envoys will bring expertise from the tech sector, ensuring that they can put their lived experience of this industry into boosting the UK’s global leadership.

These aims will further be supported through a new Technology Centre of Expertise. With the first pilots running from later this year, these centres will bring together tech and digital experts from government, private sector, and academia to support countries to transform their economies in a sustainable and inclusive manner through innovation.

As part of the Strategy, the Government says that it will also work with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Global Forum on Technology to engage with the international community on how to better use technology. It will also build on the UK’s success in securing a seat on the Council of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), working with partners to increase worldwide connectivity, and provide clear leadership in the telecoms sector. To read the Government’s press release in full and for a link to the Strategy, click here.