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<p>We are confident the digital technology sector and its startup community will continue
to go from strength to strength. Our ambition is to ensure the UK is the best place
in the world to start and grow a digital business - and that ambition remains after
we leave the EU. Tech Nation and Dealroom have released figures showing that investment
in UK tech reached £6.8 billion ($8.7bn) last year and has already reached £3.8 billion
($4.8bn) in the first half of 2019, showing that the UK tech ecosystem is world-leading
and in a strong position.</p><p> </p><p>We are investing in the areas the sector needs:
adequate access to both finance and talent. That is why for finance, Government announced
a new £2.5 billion British Patient Capital programme, which is expected to attract
a further £5 billion in private investment, in order to support UK companies with
high growth potential to access the long-term investment they need to grow and go
global. To continue to attract international talent, we have doubled the number of
Tier 1 Exceptional Talent visas to 2,000, and taken doctors and nurses out of the
Tier 2 visa cap, freeing up many more skilled worker visas to other sectors, including
tech. At the end of March this year, we also launched the new Start-Up and Innovator
visa routes for entrepreneurs.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, at London Tech Week in June
the PM launched a study into tech competitiveness - this will identify key opportunities
and support mechanisms for business growth in the digital tech sector. And Tech Nation
supports businesses across the UK to enable continued growth of the digital tech sector.
Government funding will help Tech Nation support 40,000 entrepreneurs and up to 4,000
start-ups as they scale their businesses across the UK including Belfast, Cardiff,
Edinburgh, and Newcastle.</p>
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