Managing Talent Migration for Innovation and Growth: Challenges and Opportunities in the U.K.

This project examines how technology firms in both Oxfordshire and London, U.K. attract and retain migrants with skills in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). U.K. technology firms greatly contribute to economic growth and innovation in the country. However, scholars, government officials, and employers are increasingly concerned that these contributions in the STEM sector will decline due to insufficient foreign talent as a result of policy changes and political tensions caused by Brexit and the politicization of migration, including high-skilled labour migration. By conducting research on how sub-state entities, clusters, and technology firms navigate political uncertainties as a result of Brexit and existing policies in the U.K., this project seeks to gain insight into ‘best practices’ and hurdles in international talent mobility in the U.K. with the goal of providing actionable policy recommendations to better enhance high-skilled migration policies. The empirical data generated will be used in 1) the applicant’s honours research essay, 2) the creation of a country profile on the U.K. (to be published at migrationforinnovation.info) where the applicant has an existing publication on Ireland, and 3) a co-authored publication. In addition, this project will result in a workshop presentation in the U.K. to academic and non-academic audiences.

Faculty Supervisor:

Martin Geiger

Student:

Partner:

University of West London

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Public Service, Policy, and Governance; Technology; Other

University:

Carleton University

Program: