Keep calm and innovate!

Today’s fast moving, ever-changing digital landscape has altered many things about how we work, live and do business. But some constants remain – entrepreneurship, innovation and creativity are still king. This year’s South By Southwest Interactive (SXSWi) festival exemplified just that – and showed that Britain is certainly towards the front of the pack!

From presenters, to active participants, to trade show booths and networking events, British tech entrepreneurs could be found all over Austin, TX these past few days. With over 600 British attendees, the UK represented the largest international contingent at SXSWi. In addition, forty UK companies took part in a UK Trade and Investment-sponsored trade mission to SXSWi that will help them expand their companies to the United States by connecting them with American partners, securing potential investors and sharing their creative and innovative ideas with others.

At this year’s festival UK companies brought some brilliant new ideas to the table, including a web platform that assists a user in building an app for free in just minutes, a company that makes online shopping a more social experience, a product that helps track your emissions and another which brings charity to social gaming.

The British entrepreneurs behind these companies and others from throughout the UK brought so much buzz to Austin they were able to pack a ballroom full with people, all seeking to learn more about the innovative tech coming from the UK.

Entrepreneurs are, as my colleague Spencer Mahoney recently put it, “the modern gold rush.” Those willing to throw their ideas out there, tackle the next challenge with a new, innovative and often risky approach, are unique and in high-demand. With a massive showing at SXSWi, the continual growth of the tech cluster at Tech City UK, and the expansion of LeWeb 2012 to London for a June event ahead of the London 2012 Olympics, the UK is poised to be a big part of the “entrepreneurs’ gold rush!”