17 March 2026
Enterprise Britain’s Executive Director Eva Barboni said:
“For too long, Britain has incubated innovative ideas that others have commercialised — and reaped the benefits of. We have seen some of our most promising start-ups leave the UK in search of capital and bigger markets, taking their talent with them. This needs to change, quickly, or we risk being left behind.
“We welcome the government’s commitment to invest £2.5 billion in quantum computing and AI, helping companies at the leading edge of these technologies to scale — and stay — in the UK.
“We also support the ambitious goal of securing the fastest AI adoption in the G7. Achieving this goal won’t be easy, but it is critical for driving much-needed productivity gains. It is essential that AI adoption provides tangible benefits for employees, not just the companies they work for. Only then can we deliver truly sustainable economic growth for communities across the UK.
“Finally, we were pleased to see a commitment to limiting the use of non-compete clauses, making it easier and faster for companies to hire — and for employees to accept new roles. This is something we called for in our launch report, “Time to Act”, which outlines how to create the right conditions for innovative businesses to thrive and ensure that their success translates into shared prosperity for the country.”
Read “Time to Act” here.
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