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UK Tech Sector Reacts To Brexit: Some Anticipate Slow Down, Some Contemplate Relocation

In the aftermath of the United Kingdom voting to leave the European Union, UK's technology industry is reassessing its position, with many of them considering moving to a continental location. According to reports, Samsung, LG, and Acer have noted that the UK leaving the EU will affect their operations. From a BBC report:As news of Brexit broke, tech firms including BT, TalkTalk and software firm Sage reported share price falls. [...] "I have concerns that the local market might slow down," said Drew Benvie, founder of London-based digital agency Battenhall. From a report on The Guardian:Britain's financial technology sector is particularly hard-hit, with the prospect of losing access to European markets an unappealing one. "Fintech" has long been one of the UK's most promising growth areas, in part due to London's position as the financial capital of Europe. [...] Not one of the 14 billion-dollar tech firms based in the UK the Guardian asked said leaving the EU would be good for their business.Toby Coppel, the co-founder of venture capital firm Mosaic, said: "The next entrepreneur who's 22 years old, graduating from a technical university in Germany may, instead of moving to London to do their Fintech startup, decide to go to Berlin instead. I think that's one of the biggest concerns I have about the trajectory of the London technical ecosystem."

3 of 535 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Don't Panic by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    If you mean Northern Ireland, there is little impetus there to change what people are seeing as peace. Factions on the far sides might want to play it that way but it's basically not going to happen.

    Nope, no one wants to change the situation in Northern Ireland. Oh, wait -

    "Sinn Fein calls for a referendum on Irish reunification"
    "Northern Irish people are scrambling for Irish passports after Brexit"
    "Brexit: The same recklessness that has tipped us out of the EU could cause Northern Ireland's departure from UK"

  2. Re:Don't Panic by bothemeson · · Score: 4, Informative

    The Green Party was consistent in being pro EU. They are generally excluded from the media debates as - (1) the First Past the Post favours the largest parties and the only other party that small is the UKIP - who make far better headlines for the media. (2) The print media are 80% owned by 5 anti-EU individuals who stand to gain more media power in a post-Brexit UK. (3) The UK Civil Service (completely anti-EU) are also very antagonistic towards their communitarian ethos.

  3. Re:Don't Panic by Dunbal · · Score: 4, Informative

    the history of Europe is full of them killing each other.

    The history of the WORLD is about people killing each other. Over politics. Fashion. Religion and worshiping the wrong god. Worshiping the right god in the wrong way. Speaking a funny language. Etc. Saying that Europe has a history of killing each other can't be used as a logical argument for anything, since that's pretty much the base state of all humanity anyway.

    --
    Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.