Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Technology
Lesley Cowley

Celebrating British innovation at the Nominet Internet Awards 2014

The Nominet Internet Awards celebrate the very best of British excellence in an economy that continually looks to the internet and technology sector to deliver growth and innovation. The UK has repeatedly demonstrated its capability and credentials in this sector, from the acquisition of Summ.ly by Yahoo to Tech City's much vaunted success as it reached its third birthday, but there's a lot of work to be done to ensure the continued growth and success of the UK's information economy.

The government's Information Economy Strategy underlined the importance of the UK's internet economy, responsible for 1.5 million jobs, £31bn in online retail, driving a dramatic 35% annual growth in apprenticeships delivered in the sector (including Nominet's own scheme) and contributing £58bn to gross value added for the economy as a whole. Yet in last year's #lovethenet study, which reviewed over 1,000 media articles covering internet issues, 76% focused on the negative – cyber bullying and online trolling, bullying, fraud and privacy dominated the headlines.

In this context, and for an industry challenged by skills shortages and changing its current gender bias, building a new vision for the potential of the tech sector is vital if we are truly to see Britain become a centre of global technology innovation. The Nominet Internet Awards have become the standard bearer for our potential in a world focused on the negative implications of the web.

We aim to profile innovative examples of organisations, individuals and businesses trying to use the internet as a force for good across a wide range of categories, from innovative internet businesses, through to those involved in online skills and training, internet safety, social philanthropy and applying digital innovation to public services. Last year's winners included a homemade baby food service for busy parents, an online youth mentoring scheme and an online tool to help a local council get input from residents on how to spend its library budget.

We hope that the awards will continue to provide a showcase for British ingenuity in digital innovation, a field often dominated by global giants. After all, the continued success of behemoths like Google and Facebook can prove intimidating to new entrepreneurs, but great successes start small, and neither age nor experience is a prerequisite to having a great idea.

The Nominet Internet Awards serve as a source of inspiration to new generations of internet leaders and innovators, and help set the bar for digital creativity. As last year's winners demonstrate, the types of innovation we see vary enormously each year, from innovative digital inclusion pilots through to harnessing social networks to benefit society. As technology moves on, the bar for innovation goes up.

Finally, the Nominet Innovation Awards deliver a national showcase for Britain, as Nominet takes the winning entries on tour every year to the Internet Governance Forum, demonstrating the entrepreneurial spirit of the British organisations and individuals successfully using the internet in dynamic and inventive ways.

So then, on to the Nominet Internet Awards 2014. Who will emerge as next year's shining stars? If you're working on a project that deserves recognition, or know of an unsung digital innovator, get your nominations in ahead of the deadline on 2 May 2014.

Lesley Cowley OBE is CEO of Nominet

Content on this page is produced and controlled by Nominet, supporter of the Digital Entrepreneurs hub.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.