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Courtesy of: Birmingham Post
Please note: This article was written before the Digital Britain Final Report was published.

Tom Loosemore, head of Channel 4's public sector innovation investment fund 4iP, chaired the Staying Ahead of the Game panel on research and innovation at the Digital Britain event. Here, he explores ways the United Kingdom can foster the next Google or Facebook.

In the midst of a recession, with millions of people facing unemployment and instability, some may argue that there are bigger issues for the Government to consider than the future of local news or the speed of a standard internet connection. But digital technology can revolutionise everything from shopping to news gathering, political campaigning to health checks.

As this country faces the combined threats of economic meltdown and democratic breakdown, Digital Britain's recommendations on how to build our digital future could be a transformative moment. Digital media presents a great opportunity, allowing us to do things that were never previously possible. It enables us to reach out to strangers across the world as well as giving local communities a stronger voice. Channel 4's innovation fund 4iP is dedicated to explore the public service opportunity of these new digital tools - with early commissions such as Help Me Investigate and Talk About Local examining how the web's ability to share information and connect people can be used to facilitate local news-gathering and community activism.

Britain has no shortage of talent or innovation in this sector - as exemplified here in the West Midlands,with its world-clas universities,
vibrant blogging community and hundreds of creative entrepreneurs busily exploring the potential of digital technology for both commercial and social purposes.

4iP's partnership with Screen West Midlands has ensured we have a commissioning presence here and we have already been impressed by
the strength and range of ideas. This creative strength and opportunities across industry means the digital sector could play a
vital role in helping Britain to grow its way out of recession. However, digital media is now a global economy, with countries from the United States to South Korea already seeking to exploit its
potential and despite some notable international successes (music site Last.fm springs to mind) the United Kingdom is yet to produce a global digital business to rival Google, eBay or Facebook. We therefore need to ask what theGovernment should be doing to ensure that Britain can stay ahead of the game in this competitive world.

What barriers to innovation need to be addressed? How can we provide a sector of emerging companies with the finance, skills and ambition to compete on a global stage? In my mind, investment in issues as diverse as access and inclusion, infrastructure and business skills is vital. We need to ensure that the internet remains
a level playing field for new entrants and global brands alike.We needto encourage risk-taking (4iP's philosophy is to try quickly and fail fast), and we need to re-think the traditional conceptions of where innovation should take place, and by whom - for example, why should children learn Powerpoint in IT classes rather than learning to write their own simple computer software - the building blocks of digital innovation?

Most of all, we need a stronger entrepreneurial culture, ensuring that digital companies have the skills and access to resources to build sustainable businesses. I will be chairing a session with a number of industry experts to debate these issues at the Digital Britain event at the International Convention Centre, this week, so I don't pretend to have all the answers just yet. However, it is clear that these are vital questions not just for policy and industry wonks but for the future of Britain.