New report claims creative digital sector ‘on the cusp of something big’ in Sheffield

A new report, jointly commissioned by the University of Sheffield and Creative Sheffield, has claimed that Sheffield’s creative digital sector is currently in a ‘fast growth’ period.

Dozens of companies across the Sheffield City Region working in areas of digital design, video games, digital art and culture, digital media and content, and digital making, were consulted on the report.

In doing so, the report shows that over 21,000 people are employed in digital industries across the city region. The top 25 tech companies in Sheffield City Region employ more than 12,000 people and bring in more than £2bn a year.

According to the report, digital companies in Sheffield are experiencing fast growth, with turnover increasing at 47%.

In addition, the report states that Sheffield is ‘on the cusp of something big’, with the vast majority of companies expecting to recruit more workers over the next year.

The report also goes on to provide a number of recommendations into how the industry can continue to grow. These include improving the city’s profile, public and private sector support for ‘hubs’ for co-working, and that Sheffield plays a greater role in “connecting the dots” between other northern cities.

Stuart Green, CEO at Zoo Digital, said: “Having access to the huge body of students and graduates in Sheffield is a big plus. A number of our staff are graduates from the universities here, and we also take on a lot of temporary staff, especially international students based in Sheffield, so we have a pool of native speakers of other languages who are based locally.

“This enables us to make content available in countries around the world, working with clients such as Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon.”

Councillor Mazher Iqbal, Sheffield City Council Cabinet Member for business and investment, added: “Sheffield is known the world over as a city that makes. Our reputation for quality is as true and as important today for our creative and digital industries as it is for our advanced manufacturing and engineering capabilities.

“We innovate, we make and we create –these are themes that have really come through in the report and they are the qualities driving our transforming economy.”

Professor Vanessa Toulmin, Director of City & Cultural Engagement at the University of Sheffield, commented: “As Sheffield continues to propel the development of the UK’s industrial strategy and make its mark in the Northern Powerhouse, it is imperative that we support our region’s growth industries.

“The creative digital sector in Sheffield has already made great strides. We now need to work collectively to attract and retain Sheffield’s digital talent and cultivate the digital leaders of the future.”

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