I was talking last evening to a US specialist in AI who had come to the UK. asking about what it would take for the UK to catch up with US AI and digital success she made two interesting responses. Lay on more electricity and water.
If the UK is serious about building on its relative success over the rest of Europe in now being the third tec hub a long way after the US and China tge UK needs to expand its web capacity. This needs large increases in electricity supply to power the Cloud servers and storage centres, and plenty oof water to cool. It is also going to take more broadband capacity.
I would add that it would help to take corporation tax down to 15%. The Republic of Ireland has proved this generates a lot more revenue than 25%. If the golden triangle of Cambridge, Oxford, London is to be the new hub it takes more homes, trains and road capacity too.
The UK is far behind the US in tec and so in GDP per head, growth and numbers of large companies. Much of the necessary extra capacity can be financed in the private sector, but it will take more energy by government to get it going.
Follow this news feed: John Redwood MP