Uploaded March 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Breaking through Britain’s innovation barrier
#Innovation #UKTech
#BritishIngenuity #techrevolution
Britain has famously been a nation of inventors and innovators. From the breakthroughs of the Industrial Revolution through huge inventions like television and the telephone to designing cool consumer products like the iPhone and cutting-edge microchips, British ingenuity has been world-leading.
Yet it seems as if innovation has slowed down in recent years, and particularly so in the UK. It feels like there has been little or nothing that could be called ‘revolutionary’ since the rise of the smartphone.
Is innovation really in the doldrums? To the extent that that is true, how can we realise the potential of human ingenuity today?
The speakers on this panel are:
Duncan Cunningham - UK and Ireland external affairs director, Philip Morris Limited
Kevin McCullagh - founder, Plan; innovation strategist and writer
Mercy Muroki - columnist, the Sun; former policy fellow to minister for women and equalities and business and trade secretary
Dr Nikos Sotirakopoulos - visiting fellow, Ayn Rand Institute; instructor, Ayn Rand University; author, Identity Politics and Tribalism: the new culture wars
The chair is:
Timandra Harkness - journalist, writer and broadcaster; author, Technology is Not the Problem and Big Data: does size matter?; presenter, Radio 4's FutureProofing and How to Disagree
This video was filmed and edited by WORLDwrite volunteers attending the Battle of Ideas Festival 24. These are the introductory speeches only. To avoid duplication, the full debate will feature on the Academy of Ideas YouTube channel shortly.
WORLDwrite volunteers filmed over 40 sessions at the Battle of Ideas 24. To edit, sound clean and prepare these videos for the Academy & WORLDwrite channels, takes at least 2 days each. With no paid staff the charity needs your help to keep its edit suites switched on. Please chip in if you can by visiting the charity's JustGiving page at justgiving.com/campaign/worldwriteis30 Thank You.
Breaking through Britain’s innovation barrier
#Innovation #UKTech
#BritishIngenuity #techrevolution
Britain has famously been a nation of inventors and innovators. From the breakthroughs of the Industrial Revolution through huge inventions like television and the telephone to designing cool consumer products like the iPhone and cutting-edge microchips, British ingenuity has been world-leading.
Yet it seems as if innovation has slowed down in recent years, and particularly so in the UK. It feels like there has been little or nothing that could be called ‘revolutionary’ since the rise of the smartphone.
Is innovation really in the doldrums? To the extent that that is true, how can we realise the potential of human ingenuity today?
The speakers on this panel are:
Duncan Cunningham - UK and Ireland external affairs director, Philip Morris Limited
Kevin McCullagh - founder, Plan; innovation strategist and writer
Mercy Muroki - columnist, the Sun; former policy fellow to minister for women and equalities and business and trade secretary
Dr Nikos Sotirakopoulos - visiting fellow, Ayn Rand Institute; instructor, Ayn Rand University; author, Identity Politics and Tribalism: the new culture wars
The chair is:
Timandra Harkness - journalist, writer and broadcaster; author, Technology is Not the Problem and Big Data: does size matter?; presenter, Radio 4's FutureProofing and How to Disagree
This video was filmed and edited by WORLDwrite volunteers attending the Battle of Ideas Festival 24. These are the introductory speeches only. To avoid duplication, the full debate will feature on the Academy of Ideas YouTube channel shortly.
WORLDwrite volunteers filmed over 40 sessions at the Battle of Ideas 24. To edit, sound clean and prepare these videos for the Academy & WORLDwrite channels, takes at least 2 days each. With no paid staff the charity needs your help to keep its edit suites switched on. Please chip in if you can by visiting the charity's JustGiving page at justgiving.com/campaign/worldwriteis30 Thank You.
