At an event I attended last year, a panel discussion explored the dynamic between competition and cooperation among market makers. The key takeaway? In emerging or fragile markets, a winner-takes-all mentality is rarely productive. Instead, collaboration—even among competitors—can help establish and grow a sustainable market. The logic is simple: a significant share of a thriving market is far more valuable than complete control over something that doesn’t exist.  

This perspective is central to why CodeBase played a key role in launching Ecosystem Exchange.  

Held last November at the Edinburgh Futures Institute (EFI), Ecosystem Exchange was co-founded and co-produced by CodeBase, Barclays, and the University of Edinburgh. The event brought together around 150 attendees from across the UK — including universities, government agencies, incubators, investors, and banks — who share a common mission: driving economic growth. We call them ‘ecosystem builders’ — organisations that connect, support, and foster collaboration among key stakeholders to create a thriving innovation landscape.  

Some of the UK-level examples of ecosystem builders include the likes of CodeBase itself as well as Plexal, based in London, Belfast’s Ormeau Baths and Cardiff’s TramShed.

One common characteristic among these organisations is their reliance on state funding to support their initiatives. As a result, the event functioned as a quasi-industry conference, focused on the future of UK ecosystems, and specifically how we could share perspectives, learning, and find ways to do things better.

Despite being over a decade old, CodeBase has had to continuously evolve to earn the credibility needed to run high-impact programs like Techscaler (a £42 million Scottish Government programme), LawTech UK (for the Ministry of Justice), and AI Discovery (with the Universities of Glasgow and Edinburgh). When we first started, funding for initiatives like these simply didn’t exist — it has only materialised over time as governments grew confident of the value of tech ecosystems and of a strong return on investment.  

However, ecosystem building in the UK is still in its early stages. With state funding under increasing pressure, there is a real risk that the momentum built over the past decade could stall—or worse, be lost. Without government confidence in the impact of these initiatives, economic growth through innovation could slow significantly.  

That’s why Ecosystem Exchange was created: to strengthen collaboration among the UK’s leading ecosystem builders. Because only by improving the quality and connectivity of these ecosystems can we:  

  • Increase the number of high-quality businesses;  
  • Drive innovation in technology and intellectual property;  
  • Attract global investment;  
  • Generate economic growth through high-calibre job creation, taxable revenues, and asset creation. 

The UK needs this growth more than ever, and a thriving tech ecosystem is key to achieving it. 

The event highlighted several challenges and opportunities within the UK’s innovation ecosystem, with key themes including:  

  • The need for a structured yet flexible approach to ecosystem development  
  • The importance of competitor collaboration  
  • The role of gender diversity in driving innovation 
  • The underutilisation of university-driven entrepreneurship 

There was strong enthusiasm for continuing these discussions, with many calling for events beyond London. Edinburgh emerged as a preferred venue, reinforcing Scotland’s role as a key hub for innovation.  

In ecosystem building, connectivity is the primary currency—and it’s one of CodeBase’s strongest capabilities. As we plan the next Ecosystem Exchange in late 2025, we aim to expand its reach by welcoming international attendees.  

Economic development is not a zero-sum game. By improving connectivity, we can help ecosystem builders unlock capital, expertise, and new customers. Taking this conversation to an international level will broaden our perspectives, partnerships, and opportunities.  

Ecosystem Exchange is just beginning and at CodeBase we’re excited for what this can mean for UK Tech.