Professor Hongnian Yu Digital Economy Digital Britain

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Professor Hongnian Yu Digital Economy Digital
Britain
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Introduction

• A digital economy is an economy that is based on
  electronic goods and services produced by an
  electronic business and traded through electronic
  commerce. That is, a business with electronic
  production and management processes and that
  interacts with its partners and customers and
  conducts transactions through Internet and Web
  technologies. (en.wikipedia.org)
• Digital Economy is defined by the Research
  Councils as the novel design or use of
  information and communication technologies to
  help transform the lives of individuals, society
  or business.
• The Digital Economy is an RCUK cross-Research
  Council Programme, aimed at realising the
  transformational impact of Information and
  Communication Technologies (ICT) for all aspects
  of Business, Society and Government.
• Research in the Wild is about enabling
  researchers, in the digital economy, to expose
  and test their research ideas with potential
  beneficiaries for example, the individual,
  business and/or society in order to get closer
  to achieving a viable proposition with potential
  for transformational impact.

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The Research Challenge

• Increasingly, the novel, innovative and in some
  cases subversive design and use of new
  technologies can revolutionise existing business
  processes or create new business and social
  paradigms.

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Digital Britain (1)

• The Communications Sector is one of the three
  largest sectors in UK economy alongside energy
  and financial services.
• The UKs digital economy accounts for around 8
  of GDP.
• It has been one of the fastest growing successes
  of the past decade.
• UK pioneered digital television and radio and
  have led the way in a national switchover
  programme.
• Britain has the highest proportion of internet
  advertising of any developed economy.
• By 2012 1 in every 5 of all new commerce in the
  UK will be online.

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The growing global focus on digital technology

• President Obamas technology-based American
  presidential campaign changed the face of US
  elections and he has made it clear that he sees
  both technology and a strong communications
  infrastructure as vital to economic recovery and
  growth. This includes a radical approach to the
  deployment of a modern communications
  infrastructure, including redefining universal
  service to extend its scope to broadband and
  unleashing the power of the wireless radio
  spectrum.
• The French Government has recently launched its
  France Numerique 2012 plan, an ambitious
  communications sector strategy designed to
  strengthen Frances digital position and enhance
  its broader competitiveness at a time of global
  economic slowdown and crisis.
• The message laid out in the plan is clear the
  digital economy is the most dynamic sector in the
  world and as the global recession bites, it is
  essential to nurture those parts of the economy
  that can generate growth potential and jobs.

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The Information Age Partnership

• The Information Age Partnership (IAP) is a
  partnership for action between industry and
  Government, comprising Ministers and Chief
  Executives of the UKs leading IT, Electronics,
  Communications and Content companies.
• IAP aims to ensure that ICT is effectively
  deployed to accelerate innovation and
  productivity growth across the economy and to
  impact directly on the priorities of small and
  medium sized businesses. This helps the UK to
  take maximum global advantage of the
  technological, economic and political
  developments that characterise the information
  age and can drive the UKs economic recovery.
• IAP will become an even more important and
  valuable forum for engagement between Government
  and industry, with a mission to ensure that the
  promise of Digital Britain is realised.

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Digital Britain Five objectives

• Upgrading and modernising UK digital networks
  wired, wireless and broadcast so that Britain
  has an infrastructure that enables it to remain
  globally competitive in the digital world
• A dynamic investment climate for UK digital
  content, applications and services, that makes
  the UK an attractive place for both domestic and
  inward investment in UK digital economy
• UK content for UK users content of quality and
  scale that serves the interests, experiences and
  needs of all UK citizens in particular impartial
  news, comment and analysis
• Fairness and access for all universal
  availability coupled with the skills and digital
  literacy to enable near-universal participation
  in the digital economy and digital society and
• Developing the infrastructure, skills and take-up
  to enable the widespread online delivery of
  public services and business interface with
  Government.

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EPSRC Funding Focus
Energy
Digital Economy
NanoScience through Engineering to application
Essential Platform for the Knowledge Economy and
much of the Rest of Science
Securing the Future