The latest Tech Nation report from Tech City UK features 30 tech clusters, including five in the South West of England – Bournemouth and Poole; Bristol and Bath; Exeter; Plymouth; and Truro and Redruth.
The region’s digital tech sector has a Gross Value Added (GVA) of over £2.3bn, which means companies in this space pump £2.3bn into the economy after their cost of operation is taken away. By comparison, the tech communities of the eight city clusters across the North (Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Sheffield, Hull, Sunderland, Newcastle and Middlesbrough) have a combined GVA of £5.8bn.
Between 2011 and 2015, an average of 582 startups were created per year across the five South West clusters.
Jim Strong, founder and director of mapping platform Geo.me, said: “The South West has a deep pool of skilled talent, good quality of life and great value for money too. There is also a great networking community for building relationships.”...