Digital Secretary welcomes tech leaders at first Downing Street Geospatial Tech Breakfast
Yesterday the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport welcomed geospatial leaders at Downing Street to discuss opportunities and barriers for the sector.
The Prime Minister’s Business Director, the Chief Executive of the Civil Service and the Geospatial Commission’s Chief Executive opened the roundtable by outlining the importance of the geospatial ecosystem to the UK economy. The Geospatial Commission, within the Cabinet Office, has been created to drive and deliver the right policies and projects to maintain the UK’s status a world geospatial leader. The wide ranging discussion covered innovation, investment, access to data and skills.
The Secretary of State for Digital , Jeremy Wright MP, said:
New technology is changing how we live, work, travel - all underpinned by geospatial data. I was delighted to welcome the UK’s geospatial leaders to hear first-hand from attendees about how to unlock this fundamental building block of the UK’s digital economy, starting with the Geospatial Commission launching the UK’s first National Geospatial Strategy next year.
Ed Leon Klinger, CEO of Flock, added:
I thoroughly enjoyed the constructive discussion that took place at Number 10. Bringing together government, private-sector innovators, and experts from academia (and beyond) is the right way to carve out clear strategies in complex, rapidly evolving spaces.
As a technology startup always attempting to push the boundaries, it’s fantastic to know that the government continues to be on our side in supporting and accelerating innovation in the geo-space. We are thankful for the wealth of support that Flock has already received from government, and immensely proud to work so closely with various government departments as our business grows.
The Geospatial Commission’s Call For Evidence closed on the 24 October and responses will be analysed over the coming months, leading to the publication of its annual plan in spring.
Attendees
- The Association For Geographic Information
- Arup
- Blue Sky International
- CadCorp
- Citymapper
- Esri
- Flock Cover
- Future Cities Catapult
- Knight Frank
- Meridian Mobility
- Royal Geographical Society
- Sainsbury’s