Business News Round Up (07/12/2020)
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Scotland’s digital public services outperform EU and UK averages
A new report has revealed that the standard of Scotland’s digital public services is ahead of the rest of the UK and most of Europe. By using ‘mystery shoppers’, the researchers tested the level of service offered during eight major life events, including starting a business, moving to a new house, and studying. Scottish public services scored 67% across key benchmarks, a favourable score compared to the UK’s 54% and the European average of 59%. However, it was still behind the high-performing Nordic countries of Finland, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, with the report noting that additional work is needed on the “building blocks” of digital government to reach their level. The highest-ranking country, Denmark, scored 77%, with the other three Nordics all in the 70s. With the coronavirus making robust digital services more important than ever, the report highlighted some of Scotland’s success stories, along with areas the country can improve on.
https://digit.fyi/scotlands-digital-public-services-outperform-eu-and-uk-averages/
Tech body call on government to commit to digital levelling up
A leading industry body has called on the government to commit to a digital levelling up after the pandemic highlighted stark regional differences. Tech UK, a trade association for the industry, has today launched a report into how to strengthen the UK’s “Local Digital Capital”. Scrutiny on tech and the availability of it has come into sharper focus amid the pandemic as small businesses pivot to online to stay afloat. The government has already committed to upgrading broadband speeds in rural English areas, as well as 5G rollout, but TechUK is calling on them to go way beyond promises of faster broadband and increasing digital skills. TechUK says its policies and overcoming the “Local Digital Capital gap” would boost the UK’s economic output by as much as £145bn, create 2.7m new jobs and see combined revenues among SMEs increase by £325bn.
https://www.cityam.com/tech-body-calls-on-government-to-commit-to-digital-levelling-up/
Scottish Government to put £2bn into creating ‘globally competitive high tech economy’
The newly launched Scottish National Investment Bank will put hundreds of millions of pounds into creating a “globally-competitive” high-tech sector across the country. The bank, launched last month by first minister Nicola Sturgeon, has been instructed to address the “grand challenges facing Scotland”. The Scottish Government has committed £2bn to the bank over ten years, with Glasgow-based tech start-up M Squared Lasers named as the first business to receive support. Members of the Scottish Parliament have agreed three core aims for the Scottish National Investment Bank (SNIB), with the institution tasked with driving the move towards net zero emissions, promoting inclusive growth, and addressing demographic change.
Digital support boost for Greater Manchester SMEs during COVID-19 thanks to new partnership
Small and medium-sized businesses across Greater Manchester are set to benefit from a vital free support programme to improve their digital presence and survive the pandemic, thanks to a new collaboration between GC Business Growth Hub and Digital Boost. Digital Boost connects small businesses and charities in need of digitisation support with a community of digital and business expert volunteers. Addressing the need for new digital ways of working, the platform helps SMEs to adapt and survive the COVID-19 crisis, while also contributing to their long-term competitiveness. Backed by the Department of Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS), Digital Boost has four service offerings to help equip small businesses and charities with essential digital skills.