Engine of innovation at heart of tech revolution
AS the cradle of our manufacturing industry for decades, Birmingham is synonymous with innovation. It is the youngest city in Europe, but produces the most inventions a year.
It has put itself on the map as one of the UK’s booming tech hubs, with 60,000 people employed in a sector which adds almost £2 billion to the local economy every year.
With 6,000 start-ups based in the city, it is also one of the biggest tech clusters outside London and is making its mark in sectors as diverse as autonomous cars and healthcare.
Fast-growing companies such as sportswear firm Gymshark, founded in 2012 in Solihull by teenager Ben Francis, show what is possible when technology is applied to a great, entrepreneurial idea. Gymshark opened an HQ in the US last month and is taking the world by storm.
In Government we are doing everything we can to make sure the UK retains its place as one of the best locations in the world to start, grow and build a tech business.
This includes investing in next generation digital infrastructure, such as our £50 million trial of new high-speed connectivity in the West Midlands to pave the way for 5G rollout across the country.
We have also opened two new visa routes specifically for tech talent. Tech specialists starting a business for the first time can apply for a visa through the start-up route and more experienced business people with funds to invest in their firm can go down the innovator route.
This summer the Prime Minister also announced plans to develop a new fast-track visa route to attract elite researchers and specialists in technology, science and engineering.
Our great universities and world-leading researchers, our favourable regulatory systems and our prodigious computing, engineering and business talent mean we are a favourite place for investors and founders who could go anywhere in the world.
But there is another community that is not always aware of the number of opportunities opening up in our digital tech sector and that is the parents and educators who play such a big role in shaping our young people’s lives and education choices.
A voracious appetite for talent is the mark of a successful expanding tech ecosystem and Birmingham’s need for talented tech staff at all levels is replicated in all successful tech hubs around the world.
Indeed, so fast is the sector growing that there is low awareness on the ground of the type of roles available in tech, the quality of those jobs and the fact that you don’t need to have STEM qualifications to work in this sector.
Tech jobs come in all shapes and sizes – whether it’s a full stack engineer working for a startup tech company or a content manager working for a traditional retailer that realises that it must have a social media presence.
While celebrating Birmingham’s growing stature as a centre of innovation and entrepreneurship, it is right that we think about how we will address the skills and recruitment challenge that the tech sector is seeing in almost all areas.
Birmingham is in a strong position in this regard, with at least 15,000 students in the region each year following courses in technology and engineering subjects.
Furthermore, of the 55,000 graduates produced by the region’s universities annually, 30 per cent are qualified in engineering, technology, science and maths-related subjects.
We know there is more to do to make sure businesses get the specialist workforce they need. So our new West Midlands Digital Skills Partnership brings together tech firms, businesses, universities, colleges and training providers to tackle skills gaps and give people the skills to succeed.
The city and the region continue to play to their strengths. Birmingham is a leading location for exporting manufactured goods, machinery and transport equipment in the UK.
The region is fast becoming a specialist in tech related to the motor sector. Jaguar Land Rover has been trialling its self-driving cars around Coventry’s ring road, no less. And beyond the car sector Birmingham is also building a reputation in medtech and clean tech in particular.
Between 2011 and 2016, there was a 130 per cent increase in new tech business births, placing Birmingham sixth in the UK for new tech businesses.
According to Tech Nation figures, more than 2.1 million people are now employed in tech across the country, a figure that is climbing all the time.
Foreign investment in the UK this year looks set to top last year’s record of £6.8 billion, showing our international standing in the tech world.
It is vital we talk about the challenge of growing tech businesses across the country so we can make sure that the UK’s leading position in this area continues.
Birmingham plays a vital role in connecting the network of emerging tech clusters across the UK and its appetite for innovation and entrepreneurship is an example to us all.
This city will continue to be an engine of invention for many years to come.
Minister for Digital and Broadband
Matt Warman
We know there is more to do to make sure businesses get the specialist workforce they need