Over two thirds of UK IT companies expect to grow in the next six months, according to a survey by trade body Intellect.

Of the 86 senior executives at UK IT companies surveyed, 67% expect their business to expand over the next six months, according to a survey by IT industry body Intellect.

That promises to drive job creation in the sector – 43% of respondents said that they were very likely to hire new staff in the same period, and 39% were considering it.

Respondents were positive when asked about the prospects of the sector, with 51% saying that business prospects had improved over the past six months, and 34% said saying that they had not changed.

However, respondents had lower confidence in the state of the economy as a whole, with only 7% saying that their confidence in it had increased over the past six months. Another 52% said that it had stayed the same and 40% said that it had decreased.

The executives surveyed held a similarly bleak outlook of the government’s role in IT, with over two-thirds saying that the government does not understand the sector well, and 43% said on balance that the coalition’s policies have negatively impacted it.

Despite this, an overwhelming 81% of respondents think that the UK is capable of becoming Europe’s leading technology centre, an objective that was set by the chancellor in the budget this year.

“Big companies and investors are no longer shying away from investing in innovation or new talent. This is why the entrepreneurs and tech start-ups of today shouldn’t be afraid to push their ideas right to the top and ensure they live up to their true potential,” said Phil Smith, CEO of Cisco UK and Ireland and chair of the UK Technology Strategy Board.

“The relationship they have with technology is unique and their originality and affinity for IT amazes me, so there is no reason as to why the next Twitter or Google can’t come out of the UK,” Smith said.