Britain’s tech for sale

SIR – ARM Holdings is just the sort of company which should not be sold off to foreign interests. It is the world leader in chips that power most mobile phones.

Britain is the most inventive country in the world, and to sell off our jewels in this manner is counterproductive.

The French banned the sale of Danone, the yogurt-makers, stating the company was a national strategic asset. Heaven knows what they would make of a French ARM Holdings. SIR – A major new study, by a group led by Barclays, of digital skills and confidence across 10 economic rivals shows the UK in fourth place, behind new and emerging “digital tigers” South Korea, Estonia and Sweden.

At a time when Britain is grappling with European questions, we must not lose focus of a missed opportunity of an annual £63 billion in GDP (to go by the Commons Science and Technology Committee’s Digital Skills Crisis 2016, report) should we fail to invest in the UK becoming the world’s pre-eminent powerhouse of tech innovation. All parts of society need support in improving their digital capability.

We have a tremendous opportunity to build upon existing strengths in digital skills through co-ordinated action by businesses, entrepreneurs, teachers and government to deliver new initiatives in the digital age, and secure our economic success in the world for decades to come. Ashok Vaswani CEO, Barclays UK Hasan Bakhshi Creative Economy Director, Nesta Nick Corston Co-founder, Steam Co Bob Cryan Vice-Chancellor, University of Huddersfield Gi Fernando Founder and CEO, Freeformers and six others; see telegraph.co.uk