The top of the world’s largest expertise commerce present has accused the UK authorities of failing to correctly assist British companies on the worldwide stage, warning that the nation is falling behind its European friends with regards to showcasing innovation.
Gary Shapiro, chief government of the Shopper Know-how Affiliation, which organises CES in Las Vegas, stated Britain’s presence on the occasion stays inconsistent and underwhelming in contrast with nations corresponding to France and the Netherlands.
CES, which opens this week, attracts round 100,000 guests every year and is extensively thought to be probably the most influential world platform for rising shopper applied sciences. 1000’s of firms use the four-day exhibition to launch merchandise, safe worldwide partnerships and entice funding.
Shapiro stated the UK’s participation on the occasion has been “spotty”, including that it was stunning given the energy of Britain’s expertise sector. He stated different western European governments persistently prioritise the occasion, not solely via monetary assist however by sending senior political figures to reveal backing for his or her home tech industries.
The CTA chief was significantly important of the shortage of seen UK authorities engagement at CES. Whereas France will as soon as once more be represented by cupboard ministers, following earlier appearances by President Emmanuel Macron, and the Netherlands is sending senior political representatives together with members of its royal household, Britain has no comparable presence.
“It doesn’t must be about cash,” Shapiro stated. “It’s about displaying up. Do related cupboard ministers attend the world’s largest innovation occasion? In Britain’s case, that hasn’t occurred in any significant manner for years, and that’s been a disappointment.”
In keeping with provisional exhibitor numbers, France has 64 firms at CES this yr, Germany 38, the UK 29 and the Netherlands 27, though ultimate figures won’t be confirmed till later in 2026. Business figures say the hole in visibility is extra important than the uncooked numbers counsel, pointing to the size and high quality of government-backed nationwide pavilions from different nations.
The criticism follows the UK authorities’s choice in 2021 to scrap the Tradeshow Entry Programme, a scheme that offered grants of as much as £2,500 to assist small and medium-sized companies attend worldwide commerce festivals. The programme, which price an estimated £8–10 million a yr, has not been reinstated regardless of repeated lobbying from the tech sector.
Mark Birchall, managing director of exhibition assist agency Tradefair, stated the absence of UK backing was keenly felt by companies making an attempt to compete internationally. He stated British firms typically discover themselves overshadowed by smaller nations whose governments make investments closely in nationwide stands and coordinated delegations.
“I’ve had pavilion envy for years,” Birchall stated. “You go to main tech occasions and see nations like Latvia, Lithuania and Malta turning up with spectacular government-funded stands, whereas British companies are left to fend for themselves.”
Analyst Paolo Pescatore of PP Foresight stated the scenario highlights a rising disconnect between authorities rhetoric and actuality. He stated the UK regularly talks up its ambition to be a worldwide tech chief, but persistently fails to offer sensible assist on the world’s most necessary trade occasions.
“France stands out repeatedly for the way it backs its start-ups and SMEs,” he stated. “The proof is within the pudding. Within the UK, the personal sector is being requested to hold the price alone.”
A authorities spokesperson defended its file, saying a thriving expertise sector sits on the coronary heart of its plans to develop the economic system and modernise public companies. The spokesperson pointed to the Industrial Technique and Small Enterprise Plan as proof of assist for companies seeking to scale internationally.
Nonetheless, for a lot of within the tech trade, CES stays a litmus take a look at of world ambition, and one the place Britain dangers being seen as absent simply as worldwide competitors intensifies.
