Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support technological innovation.

The Digital and Technologies sector plan, part of the government’s Modern Industrial Strategy, aims to make the UK the best place in the world to start and scale a fast growing technology business.

The plan focuses on six frontier technologies - Advanced Connectivity Technologies, AI, cyber, engineering biology, quantum and semiconductors - where the UK has comparative advantage. We will take a cross government approach to developing these frontier technologies to grow including through, skills programmes, improving access to finance, support with energy costs and leveraging international opportunities.

Targeted R&D investment will also be critical to driving innovation and incentivising private sector investment in these technologies. That is why in this SR, £58.5 billion is allocated for DSIT to invest in R&D, including funding for UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and Innovate UK - the UK’s national innovation agency.