The lack of a unified and clear voice, and a growing
shortage of high-level skills are among the threats facing the
future prosperity of the UK's software industry, according to an
initial report by a working party that included the
BCS.
The aim of the working party is to help maintain the UK software
industry so that it does not follow in the footsteps of
manufacturing and go into decline. The Develop the Future report
estimated that, if it remained healthy, the software industry's
contribution to the UK economy in 10 years' time would be
approximately 1.5% of GDP, or £18bn.
The report said global demand for software was likely to grow
significantly over the coming decades, fueled by factors such as
the growing role of software in social infrastructure,
organisational integration initiatives, mobile devices and smart
appliances.
The working party's report analysed the current state of the UK
software sector and identified actions needed to capitalise on
these opportunities for growth:
● Technical innovators must develop better business skills to
attract venture capital.
● Academia and employers must communicate more effectively.
● The software sector must establish itself as an attractive
area in which to build a career.
● The UK software industry must develop a clear and unified
voice.
● The UK is a world leader in the creation and use of advanced
tools and techniques for software development. It should take
advantage of its creative environment to set the UK software
industry apart on the world stage.
The report drew on a wide selection of data sources, including
HM Treasury, the Office of National Statistics, the Department of
Trade and Industry and the Universities and Colleges Admissions
Service. It combined this data with comment from researchers,
industry analysts and senior academics.
It said collaborate technologies and methods were creating fresh
opportunities and challenges for building software, exchanging
traditional models of software construction for processes that take
advantage of a globalised industry.
The report concluded that everyone involved in the UK software
industry needed to work together to create the necessary skills,
investment and policies to allow businesses to exploit these new
opportunities.
The report argued that enlightened decision making and fresh
thinking would enable the UK to become the pre-eminent, innovative
global software provider of the 21st century.
Vote for your IT greats
Who have been the most influential people in IT in the past 40
years? The greatest organisations? The best hardware and software
technologies? As part of Computer Weekly’s 40th anniversary
celebrations, we are asking our readers who and what has really
made a difference?
Vote now at:
www.computerweekly.com/ITgreats