The mindset that makes Britain's innovation possible

This is the first in a series examining how AI is reshaping small businesses, from adapting new skills and redefining talent to accelerating adoption across industries.

Billions from the new Tech Prosperity Deal are now set to flow into Britain's AI sector, raising fresh questions about what this investment could mean for the country's wider innovation ecosystem.

What new breakthroughs could emerge? Which industries will lead? Who will really benefit, and what risks could it pose?

Although it's a bit too soon to gauge the full implications of such a major transatlantic investment, perhaps there's one thing for certain in the meantime.

This new "vote of confidence" signals a much more immediate opportunity for Britain's boldest entrepreneurs looking to be at the heart of the next big wave.

Supercharging Britain's future

Building new data centres, supercomputers and research hubs will be a major step forward for the country's tech scene.

Yet the real story will unfold over time, as much of the rollout will depend on various factors such as policy, talent and industry adoption.

But to some, this new commitment from tech giants such as Microsoft, Nvidia and Google is more than just potential for an infrastructure upgrade – it's an investment in Britain's ability to innovate, create and scale.

"I think the first thing that a big investment like this does is it should just bring confidence," says impact and sustainability entrepreneur Ben Keene. "I mean, let's see what plays out, but the opportunity there is potentially significant."

For Ben, whose latest venture Good with AI involves AI literacy training for business leaders and teams, confidence is what breeds momentum.

And that spark of ambition and self-belief is what Britain needs to continue punching above its weight.

"There's a wave landing here," Ben says, noting that while it may be difficult to predict exactly how things will evolve at scale, "it should give us a sense of direction" nonetheless.

Lack of trust

Trust, however, remains an obstacle. According to a 2025 report by the Tony Blair Institute, 38% of UK adults surveyed cited a lack of trust in AI as a barrier to adoption.

The data also reveals a link between skills and confidence, with 66% of those comfortable with AI seeing it as a tool to support their work, compared to just 45% of the less confident users.

Ben Keene doesn't hesitate to highlight the importance of communities and the opportunities in which a thriving ecosystem can create. Could this new investment in AI infrastructure be the catalyst?

With access to advanced tools, compute power and shared networks, could entrepreneurs have a better chance not just to invent, but to scale their ideas right here in the UK?

Ben asks:

"Does it really make a difference to you and I building our next little creative enterprise or not? Whether we're drawing compute power from up the road in the UK, or whether it's coming from Silicon Valley?

"Not really in terms of our initial steps, but as we build a bigger community of entrepreneurs who are working on this, it does become more important, because it's like, 'oh, we've got the ecosystem here now to operate'."

At the end of the day, the hope is that the heavy weight of technological uncertainty begins to fade and adoption becomes more achievable.

Shifting into gear

Investment can build infrastructure, but only mindset can unlock impact. For entrepreneurs and teams, this means knowing not just how to upskill with AI, but when and in what ways.

Adopting the right approach is critical when learning to balance speed, ethics and effectiveness during a period of rapid change, Ben argues.

He adds that "a lot of it depends on how much we as individuals and in our small teams have got the right mindset".

Those who see new technological advancements not as replacements, but as tools to train, empower and innovate, are the ones who often turn challenge into opportunity.

And if there's one thing entrepreneurs are good at it, it's doing just that.

When it comes to adoption, the potential for economic benefits can be significant, with small businesses at the frontline.

According to a 2025 WPI Strategy report, generative AI adoption among SMEs alone could unlock £78.1 billion in productivity gains across the UK economy by 2035.

Steve Hare, chief executive officer at Sage, seems to agree. He wrote in his LinkedIn post at the time of the news that the "Tech Prosperity Deal is a pivotal step forward for the UK as we build the next generation of AI infrastructure".

He continued:

"But infrastructure is just the starting point. The real opportunity lies in how quickly small and mid-sized businesses, the backbone of our economy, can adopt and benefit from AI."

Pointing to the country's world-class strength in science, technology and the arts, Ben Keene suggests that Britain has always had the talent, and now's the time to use it alongside this newfound confidence to scale at home.

"We've got to be bolder and back ourselves more, because we've got the talent – we always have."

Pointing to some of Britain's entrepreneurial leaders such as Brent Hoberman, Martha Lane Fox and Debbie Wosskow, Ben suggests drawing from their hard-earned wisdom: trust in your own ability, stay persistent and keep experimenting.

In other words, take a page from their playbooks, because the lessons many great British entrepreneurs have learned over years are a roadmap for navigating this kind of uncertainty and turning opportunity into impact.

People also read

• How can small businesses be innovative?

• Bridging the digital gap: How government and industry can empower SMEs through digital adoption

• How everyday innovation keeps small IT businesses competitive

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