Digital Media

Birmingham is rapidly becoming the leading centre for new digital media ventures with the fastest growth of any city in the UK. The sector embraces a wide range of activities, and includes a number of firms that are intent on making a splash, not just in the city, but also much further afield.

Birmingham open doors to new possibilities by offering the environment and tools to engage with digital media technologies. For creatives, Birmingham is a city of opportunity.

The Birmingham digital advantage

• Birmingham has an established talent pool of specialised staff in digital media, working in areas including gaming and new media
• The city's creative industries quarter in Digbeth and other developments such as the area around Millennium Point that showcase Birmingham’s commitment to the sector
• One of the fastest clusters in the UK with a vibrant mix of companies: from global systems integrators to 1000s of smaller independent firms totalling 34,000+ employees, a rise of 13 per cent since 2005
• Birmingham has existing strengths in digital gaming, enhanced by a number of gaming companies based in South Warwickshire
• The city’s local universities are leading lights in digital media and creative industries, providing a pool of relevant graduates to help businesses thrive
• Further investment in the city’s broadband infrastructure will open additional opportunities
• Birmingham’s new £545 million Queen Elizabeth Hospital, is one of the biggest buildings in the UK to have a 3D virtual environment for staff training and scenario based training
• UK’s hub for games, serious games and interactive digital media: home to 21 per cent of the UK games workforce
• Home to leading global digital & ICT companies: IBM, CapGemini, Fujitsu, EDS, Northrop Grumman, Sun Microsystems, Oracle, QinetiQ, LogicaCMG, Serco, Delcam, AT&T and Ricoh

Digital and Creative Investors

The following companies have already made Birmingham and the wider area their home:

• Sega - world renowned computer games giant recently decided to develop the new SEGA Racing Studio at Blythe Valley Business Park in Solihull
• Maverick TV – a TV & media production company based in the heart of the city's creative quarter in Digbeth
• Daden – a Virtual Worlds and AI solution provider – offering consultation, design and build services in virtual worlds, and have special expertise in the areas of web and real world integration, and creating interactive virtual personalities
• Microsoft Games Studio, Rare Games - Videogame developers, including recent title Kinect Sports (pictured right), recently announced decision to locate in Birmingham
• The New Technology Institute (NTI) – as part of Birmingham City University, the NTI design and build large-scale, bespoke websites, produce polished corporate videos, and manage a wealth of funded projects
• Charactershop - an award-winning animation studio and production company who have a track record of working with the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Discovery, Universal, Platinum Films and Disney

2DigitalDays

On 16-17 November 2011, Business Birmingham teamed up with leading industry experts, university specialists and some of the hottest new digital media talent to bring 2DigitalDays to the city to showcase its vibrant digital sector.

Find out more about 2DigitalDays.

Testimonial to success

Recent experiences underline how Birmingham can enhance your digital media activity:

We selected this location after a UK wide search because Fazeley Studios is centrally located in Birmingham’s new digital district Digbeth, and it is a hub purely for creatives. We will be surrounded by businesses that will make an appealing working environment and a pool of local talent which we can tap into when we need to contract staff.”

Mark Betteridge, Studio Head, Rare Ltd

''Birmingham is particularly forward thinking, and has a strong reputation for social media.''

Jake Grimley, Managing Director, Made Media

Contact Us

If you would like to discuss how we might help with your business location or expansion requirements in Birmingham, please contact our investment manager and digital sector expert Sarah Darch:

Email: Sarah.Darch@marketingbirmingham.com

Phone: +44 (0) 121 202 5022