The UK and US have agreed to strengthen ties on science and technology under the framework of a new Atlantic Charter. They will create a new science and technology partnership to boost the UK-US relationship, create jobs and protect the security of citizens.
The partnership will aim to boost co-operation in areas such as the security and resilience of critical supply chains, battery technology, and emerging technologies such as AI. They will also develop a new statement of intent to exploit the potential of quantum technologies, develop proposals on future technology such as 6G, and boost collaboration on digital technical standards.
In an interview with UK newspaper 'The Telegraph', UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the UK and US would work together to lead the global fight against cyber attackers targeting national infrastructure, businesses, health services and schools. Raab warned that the UK was planning to announce a series of sanctions on foreign hackers who "systematically engage in cyber attacks for profit, espionage or chaos".
The Foreign Secretary added that improving national network and infrastructure resilience would be a key theme of the G7 meeting, with US President Joe Biden understood to be pushing for cyber defence to be included a joint statement to be issued by G7 leaders at the end of the summit. In a speech to US troops at RAF Mildenhall, after flying into the UK for the G7 summit, Biden said cyber attacks are a "critical national security issue" and called for new technology and "norms of conduct in cyberspace" to be created.
