Supporting the Business Response to COVID-19: Survey on Technology Adoption
- Funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)
- Total publications:0 publications
Grant number: ES/V011286/1
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Key facts
Disease
COVID-19Start & end year
20202022Known Financial Commitments (USD)
$147,782.4Funder
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)Principal Investigator
Henry OvermanResearch Location
United KingdomLead Research Institution
London School of Economics and Political ScienceResearch Priority Alignment
N/A
Research Category
Secondary impacts of disease, response & control measures
Research Subcategory
Economic impacts
Special Interest Tags
N/A
Study Type
Non-Clinical
Clinical Trial Details
N/A
Broad Policy Alignment
Pending
Age Group
Not Applicable
Vulnerable Population
Not applicable
Occupations of Interest
Other
Abstract
This research project builds the evidence base on technology adoption, and examines how government can best support businesses, in particular small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), in the UK at a time of crisis. Working in collaboration with the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), this project will design and undertake a new survey of businesses across the UK to shed light on the extent to which, in response to the COVID-19 crisis, businesses have introduced new technologies or organisational practices that are considered "productivity enhancing" in normal times. It will seek to understand the drivers and impacts of such innovation, business perceptions on these, and the relative effectiveness of different business support policies from the perspectives of businesses themselves. Via a follow-up survey one year on (and linking to secondary data sources), we will examine whether such innovation persists into the longer run, its impact on firm survival, performance, employment and worker productivity; and how government policy might promote the persistence of productivity enhancing changes into the recovery phase. The first deliverable will be a report summarising the data, including analysis of heterogeneity by sector, region and firm type. The second deliverable will be a report summarising the findings of the combined initial and follow on surveys. Collaborating with the CBI in these bespoke business surveys will help to create relevant and informative questions on product and process innovation, enablers and barriers to innovation, and business views on potential policy levers for the recovery. The project will seek to inform business support policies to enable firms to survive, adapt and grow out of the current crisis.