Letter - EIA to AMEDTSC re Impact Jersey - 21 July 2023

States Greffe

Deputy Alex Curtis

Assistant Minister for Economic Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture

Cc

Deputy Kirsten Morel

Minister for Economic Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture

BY EMAIL 21st July 2023

Dear Assistant Minister,

Technology Accelerator Programme (Impact Jersey)

Thank you for your letter of 27th June 2023 regarding the Technology Accelerator Programme (Impact Jersey). Having considered your response to the Panel’s queries, please provide further clarification on the following points:

1. You outline that definition of the expected benefits and measurement criteria will be included  in  recommended  programme  proposal,  which  the  Minister  for  Economic Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture and yourself will review and approve. You further indicate that Digital Jersey will provide a progress and performance report to the Government  of  Jersey  Oversight  Group  for  the  Technology  Accelerator  Fund  and Ministers on a quarterly basis and that an independent party may evaluate programmes ‘where appropriate’ providing an evaluation report to both the Oversight group and Ministers for discussion.

1. What would be ‘appropriate’ circumstances and who would the independent party be?
2. What focus will you as Assistant Minister be placing upon Key Performance Indicators of the programmes within your considerations?
3. Given the role that Digital Jersey will be taking in respect of Impact Jersey, is there any risk of Digital Jersey being perceived as marking its own homework?

2. You indicate that, in the initial programmes, Impact Jersey does not intend to seek private investment. Why is this the case and will this form of investment be sought in later programmes or in the event a larger scale of funding is needed for any approved project?
3. The potential breadth of the term ‘new digital businesses' mentioned in your response of 27th June to question 4, is large and could be regarded as extending to:

• service businesses with typical linear returns such as website creation businesses and certain utility companies using technology created by others; and

• tech creation companies potentially capable of exponential returns.

These may hold different potential contributions to improving the Island’s productivity mathematically. Please explain:

1. if the Digital Economy Strategy will set out steps to maximise Jersey’s attractiveness to global technology businesses manufacturing technology off Island;
2. the value distinctions you are making with respect to these different types of ‘digital’ business in your forthcoming Digital Economy Strategy; and,
3. the Digital Economy Strategy’s intentions regarding contribution to increase in Gross Domestic Product of the Island?

4. Please likewise explain any targets you are setting for Digital Jersey with respect to these different types of ‘digital’ business in government’s Partnership Agreement with Digital Jersey or its Key Performance Indicators?
5. Please also:

1. disclose any plans for improved data collection in respect of different types of businesses within the ‘digital sector’ definition;
2. identify the key companies that you regard as constituting Jersey’s digital ecosystem; and its level of maturity;
3. identify the key global companies that you regard as constituting Jersey’s technology ecosystem; and
4. confirm if Impact Jersey’s method of value measurement will take into account the different income generation capability of technology creation companies compared to other types of digital businesses which simply use technology?

6. What emphasis are you placing on solving global issues that could be beneficial to the Island by having companies solving those issues based in Jersey?
7. You have outlined that the Impact Jersey scheme includes a research and development function, can you confirm if this team is staffed by Digital Jersey? Will the cost of this team be covered by the 5% fee?
8. You have highlighted that that many of the problems identified as areas of priority are inter-dependent and as such there is unlikely to be a single technology solution to solve a problem fully. How will interdependent components be fulfilled and will programmes continue if they are unable to solve a problem fully or are dependent on the solving of a non-technological problem which is in risk of not being solved?

We would be grateful if you could respond to this no later than Friday 28th July 2023 in line with the 5 working days approved for responses between Scrutiny Panels and Ministers.

If you have any questions regarding this or our work in general, please do not hesitate to contact me. Please note that unless otherwise stated, all letters will be uploaded to the Scrutiny website as a matter of course.

Yours sincerely,

Deputy Moz Scott

Chair

Economic and International Affairs Scrutiny Panel