From how we work to how we live, technology is changing every aspect of our lives. Technology helps us reduce friction in our days by avoiding traffic on the way to the office, streamlining processes at work, and making it easy to stay in touch with loved ones. Companies in the United Kingdom are using technology and international collaboration across industries not just to make life easier, but to make positive changes on issues that affect us all. Whether it’s climate change, mental health, or access to education, companies—and countries—can work together to find solutions to these issues.
Stephen Ozoigbo, head of government partnerships at UK-founded Arm, is a global citizen: He was born in Nigeria and is now based in the US. “The ethos of Arm aligns with mine: to be connected to the world,” he says. Arm, with 25 offices across 11 countries, is the world’s leading semiconductor IP company that’s at the heart of billions of devices worldwide—some 70 percent of the world’s population uses products powered by Arm.
Arm operates on a global scale and powers technology around the world from tiny sensors to large data centers. One of Arm’s missions is to expand education and research for all, and UK government initiatives have helped Arm advance that vision. “This month we’ll be celebrating our first cohort of AI hardware design students at the University of Arizona as part of a competition called the AI Hardware Design League,” says Ozoigbo. The cohort from Arizona will compete with teams from around the world—from Vietnam to New South Wales Australia —with the goal of driving innovation and learning, and helping to advance semiconductor manufacturing. This entire relationship with the University began with a trade mission by the UK government to Arizona, and an invitation for Arm to join in as a partner.
Expanding education, for both teachers and students in STEM, is one of Arm’s key initiatives. “We are looking to democratize STEM-based education by using Arm’s resources and tools, but not just at the very high level with the researchers,” says Ozoigbo, adding that Arm aims to help everyone learn to code, from kindergartners to seniors. “We want to be able to democratize knowledge and engineering resources.”
Like Arm, other British businesses build on international collaboration to help foster new opportunities around the world that serve the greater good. At Culture3, a global ad agency and the impact partner for US-based TED, the way to create a positive societal shift is to use technology and creativity to engineer a demand for that progressive change through campaigns on important issues.
Culture3 partners with brands around the world to help them align themselves within areas of impact, tell powerful stories, and lead society on important global issues like climate change and mental health. Culture3 has helped brands partner with mental health advocates to create practical everyday tools for people to use, and has facilitated collaboration between brands and environmental leaders to help weave sustainability into core business strategies. Using technology to create immersive experiences or to gain data-driven insights has ensured these campaigns are far-reaching.
These positive shifts are also good for business. In 2024, global ad spend topped $1 trillion for the first time; brands spend significantly on getting messages to consumers, and it matters what they say. Consumers want to buy from brands that take a stand and have values that align with their own, with 70 percent of global consumers saying they tend to buy from brands that they believe reflect their principles. By operating with this in mind, brands can better connect with customers, attract and retain staff, and grow, all while working to make a positive difference.
The UK is the third largest creative services exporter. According to Culture3 CEO Yann Mathias, being based in the UK and having access to a dynamic network of creative people who can bring together unique skills and perspectives has helped propel the company’s innovation and success. This spring, the UK government is launching a modern industrial strategy, which aims to make it easier and cheaper for companies to take advantage of the UK’s creative might like Culture3 has, and to scale up and invest in the UK.
“We believe that culture has no borders, and culture creates bridges that bring people together,” says Mathias. “We want to have creative brains based in the UK, working with the ones in the US and elsewhere. It’s a movement. It’s without borders. It’s global. It’s designed to achieve one thing: change.”
A recent study showed that globally, businesses are trusted more than NGOs, governments, and the media. As the most trusted institution, businesses have power to leverage their collective might toward a better future. While technology is largely centered around optimization—making things faster and easier—some forward-thinking businesses in the UK are optimizing for something else instead: well-being.
The British cosmetics brand Lush is well-known for its colorful bath bombs, but has less of a reputation for pushing technological and cultural boundaries. “Technology plays such a big role in business, and I’m constantly trying to pave the way forward,” says Jack Constantine, chief digital officer at Lush, adding that the brand is always looking for ways to future-proof the business in a way that aligns with its values around wellness.
In 2021, Lush famously left social media platforms for a number of reasons, one being that it considered social media to be harmful to its users. The brand focused its efforts on its own app, with features like Lush Lens that enables customers to scan unpackaged products; this helps reduce packaging and waste. It also created the Bath Bot, a digital bath bomb that offers a lightshow and soundtrack for the bathing experience so people can get the most out of their self-care time. “We really care about our customers and want to look after them,” says Constantine.
Ozoigbo feels similarly about helping to ensure that Arm’s business operations also advance its values. “We’re going to touch lives in the places where we operate and do business,” he says. “We have to be able to look at the impact we’re having on those ecosystems, and make sure we have the right type of impact.”
This kind of values-driven work is what the UK Department for Business and Trade had in mind when fostering initiatives that fuel cross-border collaboration and innovation. The problems we’re facing in the world are overwhelming, but there are always ways to take action. By using technology to find creative solutions, and a rich network of innovation partners around the world, businesses like Arm, Lush, and Culture3 are well-suited to help point society in a positive direction—toward a future that everyone can benefit from.
