The technology sector in Manchester has been twinned with St. Petersburg in Russia and Budapest in Hungary based on current investment and investment trajectories – highlighting synergies between the three tech communities.
The findings from Tech Nation’s ‘UK tech on the global stage’ report will be discussed at ten major cities across the UK in just nine weeks. Sponsored by leading audit, tax and consulting firm RSM, the roadshow kicked-off last week and lands in Manchester tomorrow (29 May).
The 2019 report, the latest annual state-of-the-nation analysis, also revealed that the UK is the fourth in the world for scale-up investment; and the North West tops the table, alongside Cambridge, for collaboration – highlighting the strength of the tech ecosystem in the North West.
Tech Nation will use the roadshow to present the findings of the UK’s leading report in the context of the North West which has 13,665 digital tech businesses, employs around 88,000 people and turns over 4.98bn.
Liz Scott, head of entrepreneur engagement at Tech Nation, comments: ‘The Tech Nation report has been the UK’s leading state of the nation report on tech since 2015. Each year we have monitored the growth of the sector and provided information about the opportunities and challenges. This year it is our pleasure to present UK tech on the global stage. The nation is truly delivering on its tech promise, and fast becoming one of the strongest tech economies in the world. We look forward to sharing our findings with leading tech business in the North West and discussing what this means at a regional level.’
Nick Wyatt, associate director and RSM’s head of Technology and Media in the North West, comments: ‘The findings of Tech Nation’s latest report makes for some encouraging reading for the regional technology sector. Whilst we cannot deny that this sector, like any other, is not impervious to the political and economic headwinds, its growing strength is demonstrating its importance to the future growth of the UK in a global context. It’s great to see Manchester coming out on top for collaboration as this will be key to ensuring a cohesive approach across the North West and the Northern Powerhouse.
‘It also illustrates that UK clusters like the North West are contributing to the government’s ambition, as set out in its Industrial Strategy, to become the world’s leading hub for tech by 2030.’
Seminars will take place in Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle and Reading.
At each session Tech Nations entrepreneur engagement managers will present an introduction to the report findings and a local deep-dive into the findings and implications specific to the local region. This will then be followed by a panel session made up of local tech business founders, investors, professionals and local authority representatives. This will be followed by a Q&A session and networking.
