This essay has been written by Professor Rodney Day, London South Bank University, and forms part of a publication entitled ‘Perspectives on the role of London’s higher education sector in global AI leadership: A collection of essays’ which is being published on the London Higher website one part at a time.
The pervasive nature of emerging computing technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, quantum, or edge computing, offers the potential to leverage business productivity, enhance client services, tackle previously unsolvable problems, whilst improving user experience. Exploiting this potential not only relies on access to high performance compute capability, software engineers, and coding specialists, but also on a wider pool of talented people and easy access to support infrastructure.
Technology businesses grow, are productive and adapt successfully over time when there is a strong exploitable market with innovative capacity, and ready access to a cadre of highly skilled people. Whilst it might be attractive to focus purely on recruiting staff with advanced technical capabilities such as coding, analytical, engineering and numerical skills, successful technology businesses also need staff with a diverse range of subject knowledge as well as a variety of durable skills. Durable skills, such as critical and strategic thinking, resilience, effective communication, adaptability, problem solving, teamworking, creativity, cultural appreciation, kindness and empathy, self-motivation, and an appreciation of ethics and responsibility, are just a selection of these important qualities. These skills and attributes are translatable to businesses large and small, technology-focussed and not, and in both the public and private sector. They are durable because they are portable between different sectors and over long careers, scalable between small and large teams and businesses, and are deployable in different parts of the world and at all levels of leadership. These durable skills are developed in almost all college and graduate courses, and importantly, they are found in abundance amongst graduates and students of humanities, business, social sciences and arts subjects, as well as in those from more technology and science-focussed disciplines. Ensuring a diverse approach to talent acquisition is a critical ingredient for high growth, sustainable and resilient technology-focussed businesses.
Co-locating a business within an integrated innovation ecosystem can accelerate business growth and technology implementation, in addition to being a source of highly talented staff. Technology-focussed, or technology-dependent, businesses need a complex array of support infrastructure that is quick to access and that work seamlessly together. This infrastructure might include, secure data storage and processing, access to ethical, IP, legal and financial advice, a supportive business community, high speed data networks, and an innovation ecosystem where novel ideas can be developed, tested, and exploited quickly. With the growth and potential applications of artificial intelligence in areas such as finance, medicine and healthcare, education, defence and security, and manufacturing, it can be advantageous to be co-located in the heart of thousands of SMEs, universities, venture capitalists and public sector organisations, as well as corporate and digital behemoths.
London’s universities are powerhouses of intellectual excellence and cutting-edge technical capability. London offers, arguably, the highest density of advanced higher-level study and research capability anywhere in the world. With well over 50 universities, university colleges, campuses, and research institutes of different sizes and specialisms, London’s universities are a pivotal component of the capitals business and cultural life. Each year in London approximately 130,000 students graduate from around 240 courses in arts, humanities and social science subjects, and 74,000 from over 450 science, technology, engineering and computing subjects. This annual cadre of top-quality talent, from internationally reputable institutions, with a diverse and inclusive education in technical and cultural disciplines, should make London’s universities a prime target for securing the human capital that future technology-focussed growth businesses need.
A number of London’s modern universities also offer integrated educational pathways at both higher (undergraduate to doctoral) and further education (entry level to higher national) levels. This acts to support the different and evolving needs of businesses and their current and future job and skills needs. Graduates from these institutions and courses are well equipped with practical and advanced technical skills, and the underpinning intellectual knowledge to adapt and learn as technology changes. They are also endowed with personal attributes to rapidly transition into employment in technology-focussed businesses. These institutions develop potential employees with subject insight, fresh ideas, energy and curiosity, and ready-to use capabilities for the workplace. London’s universities also deliver a much wider programme of support (training and CPD, upskilling boot camps, expert advice, access to facilities, and often affordable start-up space) to local, regional and global businesses, leveraging jobs and economic growth.
In summary, if you were an existing business leader or a new startup owner looking to choose a place where you had access to human capital with advanced technical and durable skills, within an integrated eco-system and infrastructure that underpins successful growth, London with London’s outstanding universities should certainly be high on your list of places to choose and engage with.
