London’s Tech Super-Sector: The City’s Next Global Power Move

London stands at a pivotal moment in its evolution as a global financial and innovation hub. As Europe’s largest exchange, the city is uniquely positioned to shape the future of technology investment and growth. Central to this ambition is the concept of a ‘super-sector’— a broad grouping of related industries with shared characteristics or synergies that collectively drive economic activity, attract international investment, and define a market’s global reputation.

Around the world, leading exchanges are often associated with a super-sector, such as luxury goods in France, or technology in the US, serving as magnets for talent, capital, and enterprise. With the latest advances in AI and quantum technologies, along with the UK Government’s ambitious plan to make the country a global hub for tech investment, it is an opportune moment to consider which technology-driven super-sector could next define London’s competitive edge, and why this matters for the UK’s future growth.

A new London science and technology super-sector

Advisory firm Oxford Economics ranked London one of the best cities in the world¹, second only to New York, with its prominence in the fields of science and technology among the many factors cited. In the coming years, an important goal for the UK Government is enhancing the UK's capabilities in these sectors with a new Science and Technology Framework.

 In our recent Raised in London report, we asked 150 FTSE leaders (including CEOs, CFOs and Chairs) to identify which of these sectors had the greatest potential to become a 'super-sector' for the UK capital and attract international investors and issuers.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) takes the top spot - perhaps unsurprising, given the current optimism around AI and the fact that many of the fastest-growing companies in this sector are still in their early stages and privately owned.

Boosting the next potential super-sector

It is important that the UK Government’s aim of enhancing growth and investment is founded on concrete measures for attracting international issuers from key high-growth sectors to list and grow their businesses within the UK. Our research of FTSE leaders revealed that the most popular measure to achieve this within the science and technology industries would be to promote those sectors as a domestic strength.

In the US, the Magnificent 7 technology stocks can overshadow other listings - 93% of our respondents believe large cap listings will receive more publicity in the UK than in the US. This could make the UK more attractive to large cap science and technology companies that may struggle to achieve the same visibility in the US market.

The second most popular response from FTSE leaders was to encourage more funding for start-ups in science and technology sectors. Many of the UK’s high-growth companies are still tempted to list overseas and our research revealed they also often face pressure to do so by external stakeholders, so easing of barriers to capital raising is key.

AI leads the way

There have already been great strides in AI investment within the UK. In September 2025, a number of tech giants pledged a collective sum of approximately £30bn in new AI investments in the UK . There are already over 2,300 AI companies in the UK , a large proportion of which are based in the golden triangle of London, Oxford and Cambridge, which includes the UK's most elite universities and many of the country’s leading technology and life sciences companies. Harnessing this momentum with alignment between government and industry, alongside targeted policies and support for innovation, will be essential for driving investment in our domestic science and technology sectors.

London is already poised to redefine its global standing by cultivating a technology-driven super-sector, with AI leading the way. The city’s unique position as Europe’s largest exchange, combined with strong government commitment and international investment, sets the stage for London to become a magnet for talent, capital, and innovation, helping to ensure the UK remains at the forefront of global capital markets into the future.

¹ https://www.timeout.com/london/news/london-is-officially-the-second-best-city-in-the-world-according-to-a-prestigious-new-ranking-052325 (Time Out, 23 May 2025)

² https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c7016ljre03o (BBC News, 16 September 2025)

³ https://www.beauhurst.com/blog/ai-startup-companies/ (Beauhurst, 24 April 2025)