Tech and Digital

Description

With around 3000 tech businesses generating over £2billion for the local economy, Birmingham has the largest tech sector outside London. Across the city, firms specialising in IoT, Fintech, games, medtech and cyber security are growing and exporting world-wide.

Tech and digital firms are drawn to Birmingham for a number of reasons: its variety of tech-friendly workspaces; the rich mix of investors; the tech specialists and research institutes which make the city the UK’s number 1 region for innovation; and its outstanding infrastructure. The recent Government announcement that the West Midlands has been chosen as the home of the UK’s 5G technology – backed by £150million of investment – is a game-changer for the city and region.

A wide range of tech accelerators and co-working spaces provide start-ups and SMEs the space to grow, from the internationally-recognised Custard Factory to the UK’s largest dedicated tech campus at Innovation Birmingham.

Birmingham’s unparalleled strategic location at the heart of the UK’s road and rail network – with High Speed Rail bringing London less than 38 minutes away by 2026 – gives the city a unique reach in terms of markets, businesses, population, talent and academia.

Key to the city’s success in tech – and the main attraction for companies moving here – is the talent on offer. Birmingham is home to more software developers, programmers and software architects than any other regional city in the UK. The West Midlands’ 20 universities contain 100 tech-related centres of excellence and turn out over 110,000 students every year.

Taken together, Birmingham’s location, infrastructure and exceptional talent make this a compelling destination for tech and digital investment.

Tech and Digital: Key facts and stats

A Powerful Tech Cluster

• Largest tech sector in the UK outside of London
• Ranked number one regional city for start-ups for seven consecutive years
• Over 13,000 tech businesses employ 100,000 people
• One of the top 3 regions for games development in the country
• UK’s leading regional hub for CAV; IoT; Fintech; Cyber and e-commerce

Outstanding Infrastructure for Tech

• Chosen by the government as the UK’s home region for 5G technology
• Home to a wide range of tech hubs, accelerators, and co-working spaces from urban creative locations to international co-working spaces
• The UK’s largest dedicated tech campus is at Innovation Birmingham
• Longbridge Tech Park is a new £100 million home for tech and digital businesses

A Magnet for Tech Talent

• Youngest population of any major city in Europe
• More software developers, programmers and software architects than any other regional city in the UK
• University of Birmingham consistently ranked as one of the country’s leading computer science universities
• Each year over 110,000 students graduate every year from 20 universities in the wider region, including 14,000 with FinTech-related qualifications

At the Heart of the UK

• Less than 38 minutes to London by 2026
• 90% of the UK population within a 4-hour drive
• 50 airlines fly direct to over 140 destinations from Birmingham Airport