How I will demolish the barriers slowing down London’s digital growth
DIGITAL technology is changing the world, but the pace of change is still breathtaking. In three years, Airbnb amassed as many hotel rooms as the Hilton dynasty did in a century. Ten years ago, Twitter didn’t exist – now it has over 300m users. And Spotify adds over 20,000 tracks to its 30m-strong music library every day.
Digital technology is reshaping the way we live our lives. It is a revolution that must include all of us.
London has been at the forefront, open to the world and leading it at the same time. Our city is already the tech capital of Europe, and we are closing in on New York and San Francisco.
But it isn’t all plain sailing. US mega-firms like Google and Facebook were mere startups not so long ago. Where are the big London success stories to rival them? We have a thriving culture of entrepreneurship – there are already more than 21,000 UK company directors under the age of 21. But we need to give them room to grow. Too often, ambitious young Londoners – some from more disadvantaged backgrounds – are locked out.
Finding affordable space to set up a digital business is a high barrier. The brilliant and resourceful people at somewhereto_ (a Big Lottery Fund project) and the Founders Forum For Good have a great proposal to help young Londoners find that space. Today, in collaboration with Google and Bloomberg Associates, they are hosting an event for young people to pitch their ideas to company founders, and are launching a three-month programme of support that provides this burgeoning community with free workspace and mentorship so they can get their businesses off the ground.
This is not philanthropy or “corporate social responsibility” but a way of recognising the potential value that these would-be entrepreneurs can create. Reciprocal benefit – that is how we bring the capital together and build One London, where we all share in our city’s success.
I’m proud to be supporting somewhereto_ today. I want to see London start a space-sharing revolution where we make the most of our assets, including the space to put great ideas into action. But as mayor I could do so much more. I want to tear down the barriers slowing London’s digital growth.
The capital’s broadband speeds are some of the worst in the country, with Westminster and Canada at the bottom of the table. I want to ensure that London has the infrastructure we need to face the future with confidence, and that means securing proper broadband speeds that can power a world-leading city.
There are at least 25,000 new tech jobs in London every year, yet in 2013 only 375 young Londoners in the maintained sector took Computing A-level. And in further education, just 2,400 students chose a technology-specific course. As mayor, I want to bring schools, colleges and businesses together to close this skills gap. We need to get our city’s schoolchildren coding, standards in higher and further education improving, and businesses building London’s future talent pool.
Tech London has made great strides. But we can’t sit back while thousands of young Londoners miss out on the opportunities our city is providing. London should be the tech capital of the world, and Londoners should be leading the way. As mayor, I will make sure of that.
Tessa Jowell is running to be mayor of London.