Business futurologist, Dr James Bellini, believes that UK contractors will see more opportunities for remote and virtual working. He said that growth in these areas should come as no surprise.
There are currently about four million people in the UK who work in a free agent way, he continued. They are not employed by a particular company and they don’t travel to a fixed workplace on a daily basis. Four million is a reasonably large amount, and it’s still increasing.
Bellini made his comments after Orange National Business Awards conducted a survey that discovered that around 67% of British businesses think advances in technology will result in massive changes over the next ten years.
40% of the survey’s respondents expect their entire workforce, including themselves, will be enjoying remote working in ten years time. Most of them suggest that this will reflect the need for workers to have a better balance between work and personal life.
Dr Bellini also pointed out that small enterprises and freelancers are extremely innovative. In a lot of cases they either grow into a Microsoft sized business or are merged into a larger entity. But innovation is the driving force for future technological development and smaller businesses play a leading role.
The minister for intellectual property, Baroness Wilcox, recently launched an exhibition at the Life Science Centre in Newcastle. The exhibition aims to inspire innovation and teach the region’s young people how inventive ideas can improve everyday life. Dr Bellini believes the UK has great strengths in the life sciences and creative sectors and both can be expected to perform well in the next few years.
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Image: I call this—chair in a field by DRB62
