Digital and technologies

The UK government Policy paper "Industrial Strategy Sector Definitions List" Published 23 June 2025 defines Digital and technologies as being a sector that:

"develops and applies advanced technologies and digital tools to drive transformative changes in our economy and society. These technologies are foundational, enabling other innovations and transformation across other sectors. Many are emerging, novel, and untested, and will therefore take some time to be fully developed and realise their potential for high economic growth.Technologies related to Advanced Manufacturing, Clean Energy Industries, Defence, and Life Sciences are excluded as they are covered in separate Sector Plans."

"The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) is exploring innovative approaches to more accurately define the sector and the complex relationship between technology and economic growth. The SIC system does not accurately reflect emerging or fast-changing sectors – such as the Digital and Technologies sector – and the provisional SIC-based definition is only used as a proxy to maintain consistency with other sectors for particular estimates."

"A provisionalSIC-based definition is used in some instances to maintain consistency with the other IS-8 sectors. ThisSIC-derived definition is only a proxy and does not fully capture the detail and fast-changing nature of the sector, and the extent of diversified companies in the sector. TheSIC-derived definition builds upon theSIC-based definition of the digital sector used in theDigital Sector Economic Estimates Series, but it is not limited to that definition.

The provisional SIC-based definition of the Digital and Technologies sector includes:

SIC code Description

• 261 Manufacture of electronic components and boards
• 262 Manufacture of computers and peripheral equipment
• 263 Manufacture of communication equipment
• 264 Manufacture of consumer electronics
• 26511 Manufacture of electronic instruments and appliances for measuring, testing, and navigation, except industrial process control equipment
• 26512 Manufacture of electronic industrial process control equipment
• 26513 Manufacture of non-electronic instruments and appliances for measuring, testing, and navigation, except industrial process control equipment
• 26701 Manufacture of optical precision instruments
• 268 Manufacture of magnetic and optical media
• 2731 Manufacture of fibre optic cables
• 2732 Manufacture of other electronic and electric wires and cables
• 279 Manufacture of other electrical equipment
• 465 Wholesale of information and communication equipment
• 58 Publishing activities
• 59 Motion picture, video, and television programme production; sound recording; music publishing activities
• 60 Programming and broadcasting activities
• 61 Telecommunications
• 62 Computer programming, consultancy, and related activities
• 63 Information service activities
• 7112 Engineering activities and related technical consultancy
• 712 Technical testing and analysis
• 721 Research and experimental development on natural sciences and engineering
• 951 Repair of computers and communication equipment

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