Ulster Unionist Enterprise spolesperson Sandra Overend MLA has welcomed the Report fom the Boston Consulting Group which identified the importance of the internet to the UK economy, and stated that the projected growth of the web economy highlights the need to have the realities of 21st Century business reflected in all aspects of education and government.
The Mid-Ulster MLA said: “The report conducted by the Boston Consulting Group shows how important the internet is for business and the economy in the UK. The internet poses many opportunities for Northern Ireland business as it seeks to tap into global markets.
The report predicts that the UK's web economy will continue to show rapid growth between now and 2016 when it is expected to reach a total value of £221bn. There are also challenges associated with the trend of more and more business being conducted online both in terms of having the proper infrastructure in place plus having our education and skills sectors focusing on what the modern world of work wants and needs.
This last point is obviously crucial if we are to tackle unemployment, especially youth unemployment, and we must ensure that our work force is equipped with the skills required by employers and businesses in the global workplaces of the 21st Century.
There are some extremely exciting businesses in Northern Ireland and for our full potential to be achieved we need to ensure that all aspects of business, government and academia work together to promote and support innovation and enterprise and create the jobs of the future.”