In Europe, there has been a lot of debate about Britain possibly leaving the European Union as a result of the referendum being called by British government – coined by the media as ‘Brexit’. The question this raises is how will a potential exit impact innovation in the UK, and its tech clusters which have benefited significantly from being part of the EU?
It has certainly raised a heated debate. It’s reported that the UK’s the science minister Jo Johnson has said that science and technology firms could suffer in a ‘decade of uncertainty’ if Britain left the EU. He said that, “To leave would be a leap in the dark, and one that would put the Cambridge phenomenon and our status as a science superpower at risk. While many factors explain Cambridge’s success, it’s clear that our close ties with the European Union are a crucial part of this great national success story.”
