Report sheds light on North West’s digital ecosystem

New research from Tech City UK, the government-backed organisation set up to support the UK’s flourishing digital sectors, has shed light on way in which tech businesses are accelerating the North West’s economy.

The latest Tech Nation report has found that in the North of England, over 283k people are employed by digital businesses, with the average salary in the industry standing at more than £45k.

In the North alone, the industry was found to be worth £9.9bn (gross value added) to the wider UK economy.

Digital tech businesses based in Liverpool recorded an average GVA growth rate of 52%, with the city’s burgeoning tech sectors linked to the availability of co-working spaces and low property rents.

The report found that Liverpool’s digital tech economy employs more than 19,500 people, with key sectors in the city including app and software development, as well as gaming.

Manchester, meanwhile, has established itself as one of the UK’s five most promising tech clusters, with the second highest GVA growth rate in the UK, at 92%, and close to 52k people employed by digital businesses.

Specialisms in the city, according to Tech Nation 2016, include digital entertainment, e-commerce and education technology, or edtech.

Produced with innovation charity Nesta and in partnership with market intelligence firm GrowthIntel, the report is supported by Tech North, an initiative that focuses on stimulating growth in the North’s digital ecosystem.

The organisation works across Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Hull, Sheffield, Sunderland and Newcastle.

Discussing the report, Tech North’s executive chair, Herb Kim, said the findings demonstrate not only the digital tech industry’s “extraordinary growth rate”, but also its influence on the UK’s non-digital industries.

He continued: “We hope Tech Nation’s findings will prove invaluable to industry, investors and digital businesses themselves, acting as a detailed topography of the UK’s digital economy and signposting where future opportunities lie.”