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Report 2018

Connection and collaboration: powering UK tech and driving the economy

  • Introduction and foreword
  • Key findings
  • International
  • Digital tech business
  • Community perceptions
  • Collaboration
  • Jobs and skills
  • Recommendations
  • Methodology
  • Community partners
  • Belfast
  • Birmingham
  • Bournemouth
  • Brighton
  • Bristol
  • Cambridge
  • Cardiff
  • Dundee
  • Edinburgh
  • Exeter
  • Glasgow
  • Hull
  • Ipswich
  • Leeds
  • Leicester
  • Liverpool
  • London
  • Manchester
  • Middlesbrough
  • Newcastle
  • Norwich
  • Nottingham
  • Oxford
  • Plymouth
  • Reading
  • Sheffield
  • Southampton
  • Sunderland
  • Truro & Redruth
  • Worcester & Malvern

Welcome to the Tech Nation Report 2018

The Tech Nation 2018 Report is part of a groundbreaking annual series that captures the strength, depth and breadth of digital tech activity in the UK. The first Tech Nation report was published in 2015 to help develop an understanding of the vibrant digital tech landscape in the UK.

The 2018 Report continues to map the evolution of the UK tech sector.

Explore the report to find out about the connections and collaborations that underpin UK tech, drive ambitious entrepreneurs and power economic growth.

*As we're putting the 2019 report together, we'd love to know what data you find most useful, what you're looking for, and what's missing. Let us know >

Thanks to our sponsors

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

Rt Hon Theresa May MP

Over the last year, the performance of the United Kingdom’s digital tech sector has been world-leading, with British firms attracting more capital than any other European country. Our great strength in technology and innovation, built on the UK’s excellence in R&D and creative thinking, is demonstrated by the breadth of tech activity right across the country, and the powerful networks being forged by the next generation of entrepreneurs.

As this 2018 Tech Nation Report makes clear, the digital tech sector makes an essential contribution to local economies in our towns and cities. Clusters built around AI, machine learning, cyber security and big data industries are supporting growth, jobs and productivity in communities large and small. Ambitious people are brought together by a passion for new technologies and together become pioneers.

As Prime Minister, I am proud of the strengths of the UK tech sector and ambitious for what it can achieve in the future. That is why the government has made tech a core component of our modern industrial strategy, and we will continue to invest in the best innovations and ideas, in the brightest and best talent, and in revolutionary digital infrastructure.

For years, our tech sector has been concentrated in London and the South East. In line with the wider aspirations of the industrial strategy to promote economic growth and prosperity across the whole UK, I want to see our tech sector realise its huge potential to boost communities and economies across the entire nation.

Every entrepreneur, every innovator and every employer in the tech sector and beyond can help make this happen. Together, we can build a stronger and fairer country — a Tech Nation which sets the UK apart, and brings us all closer together.

Read More

Foreword

Gerard Grech, Chief Executive, Tech Nation Eileen Burbidge, Chair, Tech Nation and Partner,
Passion Capital


Welcome to the 2018 Tech Nation Report — the most comprehensive guide to the UK’s digital tech ecosystem to date. Using a rich mix of official, open and web data, the Tech Nation Report 2018 dives deep inside the themes that are essential to the success of the UK’s tech entrepreneurs.

From international competitiveness to jobs and skills, we are proud to provide cutting-edge data and information that helps move the UK’s digital economy narrative forward. Indeed, the UK’s digital economy has seen astonishing growth over recent years. But it has also experienced challenges, some shared by the economy more broadly. Amongst these, of course, is the UK’s changing relationship with the EU. Like the Tech Nation team itself, however, the tech communities we surveyed this year remain resolutely optimistic about the resilience of the UK’s digital ecosystem.

So as we power into that future, we must support founders, investors, international talent and our homegrown digital workforce. We should continue helping them to connect, learn and share – to ensure the UK remains the best place to start and scale world-class digital businesses. This is what Tech Nation is about; it’s not about creating tech hubs but connecting the most ambitious tech entrepreneurs across the UK, so they are successful in their own cities, inspiring the next generation of local tech entrepreneurs through programmes, event and insights.

This year’s Tech Nation survey received the largest response yet from members of the UK tech community. In more than 3,400 submissions, they told us about achievements they are celebrating and the challenges they face. The report also features over 70 business case studies — all online.

We would like to thank our Tech Nation community partners, our board, the UK Government, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and of course, the awesome Tech Nation team — a team we are incredibly proud to be part of.

Read More

1. International competitiveness

The UK cements its position as a global tech leader

Explore a world of tech

2. Digital tech business

The UK has digital suburbs, not just cities

Take a tour

3. Community perceptions

Access to talent and investment continue to challenge tech communities across the UK

Find out where

4. Collaboration, connectivity and culture

The UK tech community is highly connected

Dive into tech networks

5. Jobs and skills

Jobs in digital tech are on the rise, but diversity remains a key challenge

Play the quiz

Recommendations for ambitious tech entrepreneurs

Take action

Methodology

Look into our approach

Thanks to our data partners

Get a summary of the Tech Nation 2018 report key findings to print or read offline

Download now

This work contains statistical data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) which is Crown Copyright. The use of the ONS statistical data in this work does not imply the endorsement of the ONS in relation to the interpretation or analysis of the statistical data. This work uses research datasets which may not exactly reproduce National Statistics aggregates.

Tech Nation 2018 is now open!

Great news. All data featured in the 2018 Tech Nation Report is available online for non-commercial use by third parties.  The data can be accessed through the data.world platform. If you use the data, please let us know. We would love to showcase your work.

If you'd like know why we are doing this, check out our blog. 

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