News / Tech
Bristol named UK’s most productive tech cluster
Already one of the most sought-after places to live and visit, Bristol is now topping the charts for its booming tech industry.
Ranked as the most productive cluster in the UK, with the highest digital tech turnover per employee at £320,000 in 2017, industry insiders have credited a “game-changing” flood of investment for fast-tracking the city’s growth.
Bristol is also making waves on the global stage, reaching the top ten ‘super clusters’ for technology – alongside the likes of Zurich, Thames Valley and Prague – according to the latest research by real estate advisor CBRE.
But this growing industry is also one that is dominated by white men and the need to redress the balance and widen the talent pool is one that leading figures, including Gapsquare’s CEO Dr Zara Nanu, have spoken out about.
According to the Tech Nation 2018 report, not only is Bristol the most productive tech cluster in the country, it also saw new digital tech businesses grow by an impressive 283 per cent between 2006 and 2016.
Turnover in the sector went up by 1.6 per cent between 2014 and 2017 to reach £7.9 billion, and the number of jobs it provides in the city reached 24,754 last year.
“Bristol is one of the most exciting tech clusters in the country right now,” said MB Christie, chief operating officer at Tech Nation.
“There is a fantastic talent pool here, fed by the universities of Bristol and Bath as well as the engineering heritage in the area. It’s exciting to see Bristol’s startups pushing ahead in semi-conductor technology and in quantum computing.”
MB CHristie says Bristol is one of the most exciting tech clusters
Just a day after Prince William visited Engine Shed to launch a new Mental Health at Work website, Tech Nation on tour hosted a panel debate that focussed on the opportunities and challenges in the region.
Women’s Tech Hub, an organisation that works to support and encourage women and gender non-conforming people to think afresh about tech, highlighted how male-dominated the sector is.
Co-founder Serrie Chapman said: “We are building a trusted support network for women in the South West, either running a tech company or thinking of creating a tech startup, as well as helping women and girls to develop the skills to get into the industry.”
Analysing Bristol’s high productivity, Dr George Windsor, insights lead at Tech Nation, said: “We found that higher productivity correlates to higher digital density, suggesting that there are worker level effects resulting from companies clustering.
“It may be that advanced manufacturing and hard-tech firms associated with sub-sectors like aerospace and telecommunications – which are more densely clustered in Bristol – are able to capitalise on these clustering effects to a greater extent than other tech companies, resulting in Bristol’s very high digital tech turnover per employee.”
Engine Shed hosted Tech Nation on tour
Commenting on Bristol’s global position, Tom Morris, managing director at CBRE Bristol, said: “Our strong universities and vibrant urban environment have made Bristol a magnet for young development talent and the city is attracting tech companies of all sizes.
“Here, a number of smaller start-ups and fintech companies sit alongside more established telecoms and IT services companies, contributing to a thriving tech scene that’s a big driver of office space demand.”
Nigel Toon, co-founder and CEO of Bristol-based Graphcore, said his company has managed to attract some of the world’s biggest investors, adding: “We are proud of being at the centre of one of the most exciting and dynamic innovation hubs in the UK right now”.
Read more: The future of tech in Bristol
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