UK Technology Sector: A Brief Analysis
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| Not as brash at the City, but still a crucial element of the vital UK services sector (Credit: OB Films) |
Programming has boomed in recent years with the rise of ‘Web 3.0’. From 2010, the significant growth in user generated content, combined with intelligent algorithms that prioritise or promote such content, has led to a software boom (Spivak, 2019). Conceptually, this theory is based on the boom in search and social media platforms, at the expense of basic HTML pages. The processing of data by software can also been deemed the ‘semantic web’ (W3C, 2019). Its growth has been facilitated by technology, with C+, HTML5 and Java allowing seamless user experience. The creation of Apple’s app store in 2008, and the Android rival, has given search, social, SaaS and gaming platforms an ‘ultra’ mass market viability. This has been further strengthened through communication innovation, significantly through 3G and 4G spectrum placements. The app boom, whilst coming at the expense of more ‘traditional’ ‘C’ languages, has meant overall growth in digital sector. This has been through iOS for Apple products and Java for Android platforms. The mobile web has also inspired millennial uptake of coding beyond the traditional ICT based curriculum (which prioritises software application, rather than creation).
A Brief Visual History of the (Underlying) 21st Century Technology Boom
(Spivak, 2007)
UK Context
The well-documented global web/mobile boom has much history in the UK. Whilst large consumer facing brands (and indeed most of the sector) famously resides in Silicon Valley, the UK continues to exceed expectations relative to its economy size. This means opportunities for graduates, especially in London (mirroring the inevitable capital accumulation in a global ‘core city’). In the past, the UK has also produced large firms such as Sage, ARM and Vodafone. The boom in the mobile platform economy has supported further development of the sector, with UK brands such as Deliveroo, Monzo, Just Eat and Ocado taking full advantage of mobile. Games development also has a significant history and presence (e.g Frontier Games in Cambridge, or Rockstar in London and Scotland). The highly globalised nature of the sector - in terms of office distribution and relatively smooth visa processes -has meant widespread international opportunities for talented graduates/ school leavers, self-learners and ‘crossover students’ (sciences/maths). Large US firms of course also have a significant presence in London (and Dublin for tax reasons). It’s personification of transnational capitalism allows the sector to have an appeal beyond the seemingly 20th concept of borders (from a labour, capital and consumer point-of-view).
The well-documented global web/mobile boom has much history in the UK. Whilst large consumer facing brands (and indeed most of the sector) famously resides in Silicon Valley, the UK continues to exceed expectations relative to its economy size. This means opportunities for graduates, especially in London (mirroring the inevitable capital accumulation in a global ‘core city’). In the past, the UK has also produced large firms such as Sage, ARM and Vodafone. The boom in the mobile platform economy has supported further development of the sector, with UK brands such as Deliveroo, Monzo, Just Eat and Ocado taking full advantage of mobile. Games development also has a significant history and presence (e.g Frontier Games in Cambridge, or Rockstar in London and Scotland). The highly globalised nature of the sector - in terms of office distribution and relatively smooth visa processes -has meant widespread international opportunities for talented graduates/ school leavers, self-learners and ‘crossover students’ (sciences/maths). Large US firms of course also have a significant presence in London (and Dublin for tax reasons). It’s personification of transnational capitalism allows the sector to have an appeal beyond the seemingly 20th concept of borders (from a labour, capital and consumer point-of-view).
Post-2010 Boom
In the UK at least, scaleup investment has grown 2.5x faster relative to the size of the UK economy, with the country 4th for global scaleup investment after the US, China and India (Tech Nation, 2019). London is 3rd in the world for SaaS growth (software as a service) (Ibid). Data Science and Start Ups represent the leading network topics in London (Ibid). Mirroring global dynamics, Android (Java), data science and front end development are further major networking subjects (at the expense of C++ and C#, which peaked in 2008, suffering due to growth in iOS, Java and Python). Notably, key growth areas in the UK are FinTech/InsureTech and E-Commerce. This is reflected in my programme draft, which sees these topics in 2/3 of the sector talks. Gaming is also represented due to inevitable consumer interest and its still-significant growth behind Fintech and E-Commerce. Other secondary growth subsectors include SaaS, FoodTech, CleanTech. AI and cyber security can be deemed as tertiary areas (with the hype around AI perhaps exceeding actual investment viability). Job growth has broadly matched the start up boom, growing 2.4% between 2015 and 2016 (HoL, 2017). And despite London being a hub, 74% of growth has occurred outside the capital. CPCS (Computer Programming and Consultancy Services, according to Standard Industrial Classification), represents 690,000 UK jobs (2017, or 48% of the total).
In the UK at least, scaleup investment has grown 2.5x faster relative to the size of the UK economy, with the country 4th for global scaleup investment after the US, China and India (Tech Nation, 2019). London is 3rd in the world for SaaS growth (software as a service) (Ibid). Data Science and Start Ups represent the leading network topics in London (Ibid). Mirroring global dynamics, Android (Java), data science and front end development are further major networking subjects (at the expense of C++ and C#, which peaked in 2008, suffering due to growth in iOS, Java and Python). Notably, key growth areas in the UK are FinTech/InsureTech and E-Commerce. This is reflected in my programme draft, which sees these topics in 2/3 of the sector talks. Gaming is also represented due to inevitable consumer interest and its still-significant growth behind Fintech and E-Commerce. Other secondary growth subsectors include SaaS, FoodTech, CleanTech. AI and cyber security can be deemed as tertiary areas (with the hype around AI perhaps exceeding actual investment viability). Job growth has broadly matched the start up boom, growing 2.4% between 2015 and 2016 (HoL, 2017). And despite London being a hub, 74% of growth has occurred outside the capital. CPCS (Computer Programming and Consultancy Services, according to Standard Industrial Classification), represents 690,000 UK jobs (2017, or 48% of the total).
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| FinTech is a leading subsector, with the City ensuring a 'cluster effect' in the UK capital (File Picture, Creative Commons) |
Overall, 1 in 5 GCSE students now take a computing
related degree. Gove’s education reforms sought to match market changes by the addition
of computer science in the GCSE curriculum from 2013. Encouragingly, the
increase in computer science uptake hasn’t led to a large fall in ICT takers
either (although, ICT’s future removal from the curriculum will prove a
challenge). The fact that numbers have grown, despite the complaints of it being
a ‘difficult subject’, act as further sign of the career and hobby appeal of
programming amongst young people in the UK.
At A-Level, signs are less encouraging. Only 2.8% take
Computer Science, and 2% take ICT (Cambridge Assessment Report, 2019). This is
compared to 29% for Maths, 12% for Physics and 17% for History. Yet, the
continuation rates from A-Level to degree are also good for both ICT and
computing. ICT A Level students have an acceptance rate of a relatively high
82%, and computing students and even higher 86.4% (Cambridge Assessment, 2013:
8). Computer science is an increasingly popular course: In 2007 54,000 took the
subject, whilst in 2014 77,000 were recorded (BBC, 2015). The use of coding
in maths, physics and engineering degrees also mean many who don’t even take
the subject at A-Level may still be considering a programming linked career.
Thus, it can be said that despite the poor A-Level stats for ICT and computing,
there is potentially a large ‘shadow market’. This is further backed up
by the low barriers to entry in coding education. Sites such as
CodeAcademy.com, KhanAcademy.com or Code.org offer free courses in coding. This
means those not learning formally may think of/be already learning some form of
code (I for example took a course in HTML, despite being very humanities
inclined!). Furthermore, the widespread extracurricular provision of coding
means non-Computer Science/ICT may have an underlying interest. At secondary
level, 77% of schools surveyed offered extracurricular computing activities
(Royal Society, 2017: 80). It is also offered at 63% of primary schools (Ibid).
References
BBC (2015) ‘What are the most popular degree courses’, BBC News (13/04/15). See here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-32230793
BBC (2015) ‘What are the most popular degree courses’, BBC News (13/04/15). See here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-32230793
Cambridge Assessment (2018) ‘Popularity of A Level subjects
among UK university students’. See here: https://www.cambridgeassessment.org.uk/Images/140668-popularity-of-a-level-subjects-among-uk-university-students.pdf
Coding Dojo (2019) ‘The 7 most in-demand programming
languages of 2019’, Coding Dojo, [19/03/19], see here: https://www.codingdojo.com/blog/the-7-most-in-demand-programming-languages-of-2019
Guardian (2013) ‘Computing or ICT; which would serve our
pupils better?’ Guardian [12/08/2013] See here: https://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/teacher-blog/2013/aug/12/computing-ict-curriculum-teaching-debate
HoL (2017) ‘Technology (ICT) Sector Report’. See here: https://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons-committees/Exiting-the-European-Union/17-19/Sectoral%20Analyses/36-Technology-ICT-Report%20FINAL.pdf
Royal Society (2017) ‘After the reboot: computing education
in UK schools’, The Royal Society. See here: https://royalsociety.org/~/media/policy/projects/computing-education/computing-education-report.pdf
Spivak, N. (2019) ‘Web 3.0: The Third Generation Web is
Coming’. See here: https://lifeboat.com/ex/web.3.0
Tech Nation (2019) ‘UK Tech on the Global Stage’. See here: https://technation.io/news/uk-fourth-in-the-world-in-fast-growth-investment-after-us-china-and-india/
W3C (2019) ‘Semantic Web’ (Directory page for deeper guide).
See here: https://www.w3.org/standards/semanticweb/
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