Study: Telco sector at forefront of innovation
November 27, 2024
The Vodafone and Three merger highlights UK telecom innovation, with major investments planned to boost network quality and deliver advanced technology for customers.
In light of this, Sopro, the B2B prospecting service, has analysed government data to reveal the telecoms industry is one of the most innovative in the UK.
The industries engaging in innovation the most:
|
Rank |
Industry |
Companies Engaging in Innovation* |
|
1 |
Scientific research and development |
69.0% |
|
2 |
Manufacture of computer, electrical and optical equipments |
61.9% |
|
3 |
Manufacture of transport equipments |
60.5% |
|
4 |
Publishing, computer programming & information service activities/ICT |
59.6% |
|
5 |
Architectural and engineering activities and related technical consultancy |
55.4% |
|
6 |
Manufacture of food, clothing, wood, paper and printing |
54.5% |
|
7 |
Telecommunications |
52.2% |
|
8 |
Manufacture of fuels, chemicals, plastic metals & minerals |
50.8% |
|
9 |
Advertising and market research |
49.2% |
|
10 |
Technical testing and analysis |
43.7% |
The telecommunications industry is a saturated global market where companies must constantly innovate new products and services to remain competitive. As a result, more than half (52.2 per cent) of telecommunications companies in the UK engage in innovation.
The widespread demand for data also fuels innovation in this industry, as businesses constantly have to come up with ways to improve network capacity and speed.
The study also revealed:
-
Computer software stands out as the leading area of innovation, with 17.7 per cent of businesses directing their investments toward it.
-
Businesses in the South East lead in innovation, with 40.2 per cent actively investing in it.
-
Over two-fifths of businesses say improving goods and services is the main motivation behind innovating.