The figures, which were revealed by the Tyto Tech 500 Power List, said that the number of greentech influencers who made the list has grown by 160% in the UK as popular interest in the power of technology to mitigate the affects of climate change grows.
The Power List, which is Europe’s most comprehensive tech influencer study, highlights the most influential individuals in tech sectors across the UK, Germany and France.
In the UK alone, 39 greentech influencers made it onto the top 500 list, meaning greentech is now the fourth largest area of influence among the 17 technology sectors analysed. The growing number of influencers making the list, which more than doubled from just 15 in 2020, suggests people are more interested in the opportunities offered by greentech in the wake of the pandemic and COP26.
Biotech and healthtech also sparked more interest this year as a result of the pandemic. The study found that the number of biotech influencers making the list increased by 33%, while the number of healthtech influencers also climbed by 8.3%.
Zoë Clark, senior partner and Head of Media and Influence at Tyto, said: “It's been heartening to chart the rise of GreenTech since the category first appeared in our analysis in 2019. Sustainability continues to grow in importance, culminating in this year’s landmark COP26 conference and reflected by the high placement of COP26 President Alok Sharma in our Top 10."
She added: “What’s also interesting is the link between influence and relevance. The growth of health- and bio-tech, and the high ranking of individuals who’ve been so instrumental in navigating us through the pandemic, shows the extent to which relevance plays a role in us deciding who we deem to be influential.”
Influencers with a governmental background also made up a significant portion of the list, increasing by 31.5% compared to last year. Alongside Alok Sharma, Cabinet ministers including Michael Gove and Rishi Sunak appeared in the UK top 10, as well as England’s Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty.
Still, women’s influence within UK tech sectors remains low, making up just 24.2% of the UK influencers in the overall pan-European top 500. The UK has the highest proportion of women on the 500-strong list, but less than a quarter of UK influencers on the list are women.
Reflecting on the continued low representation of women, Clark said: “This reflects the wider gender imbalance in the technology sector, something we are seeking to help address through the Tyto Foundation and our work with the Tech Talent Charter.”
More information on the influencers who made the list can be found here.
