Digital Government Minister Stephanie Peacock has visited Innovate Cambridge to hear directly from businesses about how data, technology and innovation are driving growth - and how those advances could be used to improve public services across the UK.
Peacock said:
It was fantastic to visit Innovate Cambridge and hear firsthand from businesses about how data and technology are driving growth.
She added:
We want to harness that innovation to deliver better, more inclusive services and improve digital access for citizens all across the UK.
Peacock's ministerial brief includes responsibility for the Government Digital Service, digital verification services, data policy and place.
Cambridge at centre of UK innovation economy
Innovate Cambridge brings together businesses, universities, investors and public bodies with the aim of strengthening one of the UK's most important science and technology clusters.
Its strategy is to make Cambridge the best place in the world to turn breakthrough research into successful businesses, while ensuring the economic benefits are felt more widely. The organisation's longer-term goals include doubling venture-capital investment, creating twice as many science and innovation companies and generating tens of thousands of additional jobs.
Peacock's visit took place at The Glasshouse, Innovate Cambridge's central community space for high-growth science and technology companies, investors and visiting delegations.
Technology being used to simplify government services
The visit comes as the Government expands its own digital reform programme.
Earlier this month, ministers announced that passkeys are being rolled out across GOV.UK One Login, giving more than 23 million users the option of accessing services through a fingerprint, Face ID or device PIN rather than relying on passwords and text-message codes.
Peacock said at the time that the aim was to make government services "simpler and safer" while strengthening protection against fraud.
Her department has also introduced rules allowing pubs, restaurants, shops and other licensed premises to accept certified digital proof of age, as part of a wider push to modernise identity checks and expand trusted digital credentials.
For Peacock, the Cambridge visit underlines the Government's bid to connect the UK's science and technology strengths with better digital public services - using innovation hubs such as Innovate Cambridge to inform how Whitehall designs and delivers for citizens.
