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Deloitte names North West TMT ‘hotspots’

Deloitte names North West TMT ‘hotspots’

• Five key clusters are home to more than 200 businesses from technology, media, digital, creative and telecoms sector, supporting almost 3,400 jobs
• ’Hotspots of the future’ include clusters in Manchester, Liverpool and Lancashire

Five business clusters are key to the growing prominence of the North West’s TMT sector, according to Deloitte.

The business advisory firm has highlighted a clutch of locations in the region with a high concentration of technology, media, digital, creative and telecoms (collectively referred to as TMT) businesses, along with the infrastructure and capacity to attract more.

Between them, the five clusters are home to more than 220 businesses and are estimated to employ some 3,355 people, with the numbers rising year-on-year. They are:

• MediaCityUK, Salford Quays
• The Sharp Project, Manchester
• Sci-Tech Daresbury, near Warrington (previously Daresbury Science and Innovation Campus)
• Liverpool Science Park
• RopeWalks, Liverpool

The success of each cluster demonstrates that the North West is carving out an enviable reputation as one of the UK’s key regions for TMT, a high-value sector attracting entrepreneurial and skilled workers, many of whom are graduates.

The hotspots that have fuelled the North West’s success in TMT continue to grow. Phase two of MediaCityUK is now in the planning stage, the Sharp Project is set to announce an international technology company as a new tenant and the ‘Tomorrow’ digital project involves more than 20 sites across Manchester.

Meanwhile, Sci-Tech Daresbury is utilising its Enterprise Zone status to attract businesses from outside the region and Liverpool Science Park is currently in its third phase of development.

Deloitte’s five ‘hotspots to watch’ in the North West highlight how the region also boasts smaller clusters which are capable of growing into significant areas of TMT business activity. They are:

• Northern Quarter, Manchester
• Castlefield/First Street, Manchester
• Hope Street area, Liverpool
• Digital and creative cluster, Lancaster
• UCLan Media Factory, Preston

Iain White, head of media at Deloitte in the North West, said: “The region is nurturing a hard-won reputation as a key area for TMT businesses. There are various reasons for this but among them are the North West’s heritage as an innovator and an important media region, our skilled workforce, world-class universities and strong infrastructure. Importantly, the public sector, including councils and enterprise organisations, has been pro-active in recognising TMT’s significance and supporting it, helping lure significant inward investment including 2,500 BBC staff to MediaCityUK.

“Many parts of the North West have built a reputation in TMT over a period of time, like Liverpool’s gaming community or Manchester’s media industry. However, as a result of a maturing sector along with planning and economic policy, we are now seeing major clusters emerge where many companies are grouped together. That strengthens the industry as it creates attractive places to live and work, and offers opportunities for the sharing of best practice and cross-selling.

“We are also encouraged by the less mature clusters, which look set to be some of the significant TMT groupings of the next 10 to 20 years. It is vital that the sector is nurtured correctly to fulfil its potential and ensure the North West is recognised as world-class for TMT in the future.”

Deloitte has a long-established TMT service line, which advises a significant number of businesses in the North West.

NB: Research was based on recognised trends and clusters in TMT and is not intended to be a formal audit of the sector. Clusters were included according to number and type of businesses, infrastructure, quality of accommodation and prospects for future development.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Nathan Cracknell .