China’s rapid expansion and America’s dominance mean the UK risks falling behind in the race to shape the technologies of the future
The United Kingdom must take a more coordinated and strategic approach to international technology standards if it is to convert its scientific strengths into lasting industrial leadership, according to new research led by Aston Business School.
The report, Harnessing Global Standards for Technological Leadership: A Comparative Study of the UK and Other Leading Nations, was led by Professor Cher Li of Aston Business School, working alongside Dr Xin Deng at Alliance Manchester Business School and Dr John Moffat at Durham University Business School.
Published this month and supported by a grant from the Economic and Social Research Council, it examines how the UK is positioned within the international technology standards system compared with the United States and China, covering participation across 19 standards development organisations over nearly three decades.
The findings show that while the US continues to dominate in absolute participation and China is expanding rapidly in hardware and connectivity-related standards bodies, the UK holds a credible but more specialised position, particularly in services and market-oriented domains.
The report also finds that UK firms involved in standards development are significantly more innovative, with participation associated with a 14% increase in employment and a 34% increase in patent families among those firms.
Five priorities for the UK to act on
The report sets out five recommendations: deepening UK participation in 5G and 6G standards bodies; addressing weaknesses in hardware and semiconductor-related standards; supporting innovative SMEs and scale-ups to engage in standards development; investing in emerging domains such as AI, clean energy and health data; and building a stronger evidence base linking standards to innovation, productivity and exports.
Professor Li said: “Standards are often invisible to the public, but they are central to how technologies scale, compete and create economic value.
“If the UK wants to lead in areas such as AI, semiconductors and advanced connectivity, it must treat standards as part of its innovation and industrial strategy, not simply as a technical or regulatory issue.
“The UK has distinctive strengths, but international competition is intensifying. A more coordinated approach could help UK businesses influence the rules of future markets and capture greater value from innovation.”
