"It’s just a matter of attitude and inspiration” - ad:tech London chief says UK can produce the world's next technology giant
Digital conference ad:tech's head of UK Chris Asselin has said that Britain has the talent that is capable of producing the world's next technology giant.
Speaking to The Drum, Asselin discussed the BIMA Hall of Fame, the first 20 inductees of which will be announced at ad:tech London on 19 and 20 September, and reflected on the technological talent that the Hall of Fame will highlight from these shores.
“For far too long the US has been seen as leading the way when it comes to thought leadership in digital,” commented Asselin. “Look at Bill Gates, Steve Jobs or Mark Zuckerberg. We need icons to inspire us and we need to celebrate the homegrown talent we have on our doorstep. After all, the inventor of the internet was British, as was the designer of the iPhone."
He continued to explain: "The Digital Hall of Fame aims to reveal unrecognised talent in this country. There’s no reason why the UK can’t produce the next Google or Facebook. We may even have it already but we’re not investing the money. As soon as someone’s successful they leave for Silicon Valley.
“Even as a Frenchman, I can see the wealth of talent in this country and I am proud to be supporting the UK. We already have the talent here, ready and waiting, it’s just a matter of attitude and inspiration.”
The ad:tech conference will be held at the National Hall Olympia, and will include speakers from Yahoo, MailOnline, foursquare, Sony Music, American Airlines, LivingSocial, Hotels.com, ITV, Last.fm, MoneySupermarket.com and the BBC, each discussing their digital strategies.