Exeter

Jobs in digital tech up 47% from
2014 to 2017

£271 mDigital tech business turnover (2017)

£101 kDigital tech turnover by employee (2017)

£351 mGVA
(2017)

2,690Jobs in digital tech
(2017)

10,240Digital tech jobs
(2017)

Developments

Tech Exeter and Digital Exeter are at the heart of the tech community in this beautiful city, where innovation is supported by leading incubators like SETsquared.

In September 2017, Exeter College opened its Centre for Advanced Industrial Automation, a world-class robotics and engineering centre. The robotics workshop will accommodate seven Kuka robots including the KR Agilus. Consequently, Exeter College will be the leading college in the UK for robotics programming, giving its students a valuable head start when it comes to future employment.

Exeter College and Exeter City Futures have launched the Exeter Data Information Science Collaborative. Designed to boost the analytical skills of young people in the area, it also provides them with the essential tools to create change locally.

The newly launched Impact Lab is a partnership of seven Devon-based organisations, including the University of Exeter, Exeter City Futures and the Met Office. The project will work with businesses to analyse data and create new products and services with a focus on safeguarding the environment.

Toby Mottram

CEO, Milkalyser

About Milkalyser
Milkalyser is an automated system based on wirelessly connected IoT sensors to measure hormones in milk during milking. This will revolutionise the fertility management of dairy cows. The product is in Alpha testing this year and will be ready for Beta customers in 2019.

Why Exeter?
Exeter is at the heart of our industry, with a million dairy cows close by. It has a world class University, the Met Office and Exeter Science Park which provides a fantastic space for start-ups and growing SMEs. It is also an excellent place to live, with beautiful countryside and the best rugby team in England!

National & International focus
Developing our product requires top class research facilities, such as those of the new Agri EPI-Centre. Our collaborators in the region provide the veterinary capability, bio-sensor expertise, and engineering design.

With our established partner company eCow, we have contacts all over the world, and collaboration from our Italian distributors means we have a strong international presence. Thanks to investment from the Mercia Technology Fund and InnovateUK, as well as mentoring from SETsquared Exeter, we have been able to expand our offering and grow the company. We also have a technical advisory group of outside experts who ensure our feet stay on the ground!

Founded: 2016

Raised: £1.3 m

Kate Doodson & Julie Hawker

Joint CEOs, Cosmic

About Cosmic
Cosmic is a major player in the provision of digital skills across the South West, as well as delivering digital and IT services including web, tech support, and digital marketing.

Why Exeter?
Cosmic’s main office is in Honiton just outside Exeter, with staffing working across Devon and Somerset and with plenty of work in Exeter itself, involving use of multiple co-working spaces. The swift evolution of digital capabilities and businesses in the Exeter area has acted as a major catalyst and energy to the wider economy.

National & International focus
Cosmic has a range of top quality and highly effective partnerships in the region, and also has crafted some strong and influential partnerships on a wider national and international basis. Through these relationships we successfully share best practice, innovate our delivery models swiftly, and engage added capacity in our programmes based on leading insights and expertise.

Founded: 1996

Popular meetups in Exeter

1,240 members

Digital Exeter

952 members

Tech Exeter

401 members

Data Science Exeter

Community perceptions survey findings

The Tech Nation 2018 Survey was conducted between January 2018 and February 2018, in partnership with Streetbees. This year’s survey received the largest response yet from members of the UK tech community. In a total of 3,428 submissions, people told us about the opportunities and challenges their local ecosystems face, and the digital tech leaders they admire. The majority of respondents (33%) were founders and CEOs.

What Exeter startups say is a strength

1Good quality of life

2Helpful tech community

3Creativity

What Exeter startups say is a challenge

1Access to talent

2Limited infrasructure

3Lack of tech training

Who Exeter startups say is influential

Rob Glover

Founder, Tech Exeter

About you
As a freelancer in Exeter a few years ago I noticed that there seemed to be a lack of a community amongst tech professionals so I took time out of my own business to help build what is now a thriving scene.

Unique to Exeter?
Exeter is blessed with it’s location, amazing countryside is only minutes from your workplace. Exeter is a small city but that makes for a good close-knit tech community. Greater Exeter is primed to be the centre of new developments in the South West.

Strengths & Challenges
There is a pioneering spirit here to build a different kind of tech cluster. The challenge I see is whether the grass-roots community will lead this or will be subjected to rather mediocre ideas about being just-like other places that come from regional institutions that understand little about technology. Exeter needs to find it’s unique place in the Tech Nation.

Tech Nation 2018 is now open!

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Next cluster

Glasgow