Becoming Modern Industrial – The UK’s New Digital and Technologies Sector Plan

Plotting out the next decade

In support of the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy, on 23 June 2025 the UK government published a collection of policy and analysis papers, sector plans, consultations, and documents.

It is the intention that the industrial strategy, a 10-year plan, ‘…will make it quicker and easier for business to invest and will provide the certainty and stability needed for long-term investment decisions.’. Read the Collection: The UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy 2025 here.

In amongst the collection is the Digital and Technologies Sector Plan. In this blog we signpost the main themes of this sector plan and some of what needs to happen as highlighted by the plan.

Anchoring the plan

The sector plan, which runs to 72 pages, is jointly from the Department for Business and Trade and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), with the Ministerial Foreword from the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology. In his words:

‘Our Digital and Technologies Sector Plan, a central part of the modern Industrial Strategy, sets out a role for the State as an active partner, boosting British businesses instead of holding them back. Our plan is anchored in exploiting the ideas and talent of Britain’s scientists, technologists, innovators and entrepreneurs – and strengthening our country as an investment destination for domestic and international enterprise…’.

Read the Digital and Technologies Sector Plan here.

Six frontier technologies

The executive summary foregrounds the development of action plans for the following six frontier technologies:

• Advanced connectivity technologies (ACT)
• Artificial intelligence (AI)
• Cyber security (Cyber)
• Engineering biology (Eng Bio)
• Quantum technologies (Quantum)
• Semiconductors

It is noted that frontier technologies related to the following sectors are not included as they are part of separate sector plans: advanced manufacturing, clean energy, defence, and life sciences.

The UK’s city regions and clusters

A map of the UK is provided within the sector plan, highlighting regional strengths according to the six frontier technologies.

So, for example, the West Midlands is tagged with the frontier technologies: AI, Cyber, ACT. This is followed by a description of the specifics, including that the ‘region produces 66,000 tech graduates each year…’. Similarly, Scotland (Dundee, Glasgow, and Edinburgh city regions) is tagged: AI, Eng Bio, Semiconductors, Quantum, with a specific example given being: ‘10 of the top 30 global semiconductor companies have operations in Scotland’ (data attributed to a 2024 DSIT study).

The map is to be found on page 57 of the plan, in the part headed ‘Supporting the UK’s city regions and clusters.’.

Accountability

Towards the end of the sector plan there is an ‘accountability table’ listing the six frontier technologies with actions against each of these within one column, and the senior responsible owner (SRO) in another (pp. 66 – 67).

Repeated below are the five actions that are listed against the frontier technology AI. They have the DSIT Director of AI Opportunities identified as the senior responsible owner (SRO).

• Strengthening the UK’s position as a global hub for AI R&D
• Maximising the UK’s stake in frontier AI
• Delivering an AI and copyright framework that supports AI development in the UK
• Promoting AI adoption across the UK with targeted initiatives
• Accelerating AI-enabled scientific breakthroughs in targeted areas of UK strategic priority

Related to AI and copyright, read our earlier blog on ownership of intellectual property outputs here.

Through to 2035

We finish this brief journey through the Digital and Technologies Sector Plan with a pick of three of the events listed on the timeline ‘Plan Through to 2035’ (pp. 68 – 69):

For 2025 –

‘Cyber: 2025: Cyber Security and Resilience Bill introduced to Parliament’.

Related to this, read our earlier blog on the government’s April 2025 policy statement on the CSR Bill here.

For 2029 –

‘Cross-sector: 2029: 1 million students reached across every secondary school in the UK and offered the chance to learn about technology and gain access to new skills training and career opportunities.’.

For 2035 –

‘Overall: 2035: The UK has its first trillion-dollar technology business’.

For further government background on the Digital and Technology Sector Plan, read the DSIT’s press release – ‘Tech innovators backed to set up and scale up in Britain through Industrial Strategy’ – here.