Report
Northern Ireland Digital Dialogue and National Report 2020
Throughout the past year, techUK held a series of Digital Dialogues with leaders across the United Kingdom’s nations and regions to better understand how we can harness digital innovation to build a better future in the wake of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Working together with stakeholders and members these conversations were intended to help understand what actions could be taken at the local level in the short, medium, and long-term to support a levelled-up recovery and build the future we need.
The Northern Ireland Digital Dialogue brought together local leaders from across the public and private sectors on 13 October 2020 to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on Northern Ireland and how digital technology can support a levelled-up recovery.
The discussion revealed serious concerns about the social and economic impact of COVID-19 and the long-term ambition to level up the whole of the UK.
However, these concerns were matched with optimism about the opportunity to accelerate digital transformation and apply digital technology to address both long-standing issues and new challenges brought about by COVID-19.
There is a strong desire for greater collaboration across public and private sectors to enable digital innovation and help Northern Ireland recover from the impact of COVID-19.
This report sits alongside six other national and regional reports, as well as a UK-wide report, and sets out some recommendations, based on the Digital Dialogue, about how this could be achieved in Northern Ireland, focusing on the following areas:
- Strengthening local digital capital
- Seizing local growth opportunities
- Innovating to tackle urgent problems
