Statistics on the UK's creative industries released by DCMS in December have provoked negative reactions. The creative industries account for only 2.9% of Gross Value Added (GVA), far lower than previous estimates have suggested, following the removal of two 'standard industrial codes' from the definition of the Software sector and a 'scaling adjustment' that the DCMS used to apply to the estimate of whole economy GVA.
We've heard that as much as 90% of the data that exists today has been produced in the last two years. The Internet has a lot to do with that. Innovative businesses are exploiting this new resource to improve their operational efficiency, productivity and consumer satisfaction.
It was inevitable that Michael Gove's BETT speech earlier this week would steal the thunder of The Royal Society's report on computing in schools which was launched today.
Michael Gove's speech at BETT this morning is a big win for Next Gen's campaign for computer science in schools in several ways.
This time last year, we were putting the finishing touches to the Next Gen report, the main output from the Review of Skills for the Video Games and Visual Effects industry led by Ian Livingstone and Alex Hope. The Review's objectives were ambitious, no less than to show how the UK could become the best global source of talent for these two fast-growing, high-tech creative industries.
Next Gen, the independent review of the skills needs of the video games and VFX industries led by Ian Livingstone and Alex Hope, and produced with NESTA, made a total of 20 recommendations for government, industry and educators.
And so it arrives, the end of the year. Traditionally a time of pausing for reflection, wool gathering the events of the previous twelve months and trying to piece together a picture of what’s been achieved…
The report today from the Charities Aid Foundation is an important contribution to the work to increase giving amongst younger people.
Around seven million tickets have been sold for the London Olympics and if the viewing figures for the Athens Olympics are anything to go by, a further four billion people will tune in at least once to watch the Olympics on TV.
Last Thursday, I found myself in a room with the first innovators funded through the Innovation in Giving Fund. You can find them all here.
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