Microsoft CEO appointed by UK to lead industrial strategy council

In a bid to boost investment in the UK technology sector, the CEO at Microsoft UK, Clare Barclay, has been named as the chair of the new Industrial Strategy Advisory Council. This role will support the council in driving growth in eight core sectors, including financial services, digital and technologies and professional and business services.

Focusing on industries where the UK is seen to have a competitive advantage, the Industrial Strategy will be one of the measures the UK Government is implementing to create a more pro-business environment.

“As Chair of the Industrial Strategy Advisory Council, I will ensure the Council provides a clear and strong voice on behalf of business, nations, regions, and trade unions, as we invest for the future to ensure that our prosperity is underpinned by robust growth in key sectors right across the country,” said Clare Barclay, CEO at Microsoft UK.

Barclay added ‘whilst we fully embrace the industries of today, we must also have a clear plan for future growth, and the Advisory Council will play a central role in shaping and delivering this plan’.

In sectors where long-term planning can see strategic projects run over many years, the council is entrusted to make investors and businesses feel the UK ecosystem is stable and welcoming to major investments.

While a number of sectors are targeted by the council, technology is a main focus with the former CEO of tech firm Darktrace, Poppy Gustafsson, being made the UK’s minister for investment last week. The new council is a positive step for tech companies considering investing into the UK but it follows a number of high-profile criticisms by tech firms in recent years.

After the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) initially blocked the takeover of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft, the video game company said the UK was ‘closed for business’. The deal was approved after some changes were made by Microsoft.

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