º£½ÇÊÓƵ

The West of England is fast becoming one of the most dynamic technology clusters in the world. The region is still a stronghold for agriculture, food and tourism, of course, but these days it’s so much more than that.

In the last decade, the South West - a region stretching from Cornwall, Devon and Dorset to Somerset, Bristol, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire - has firmly established itself as a powerhouse for tech. It’s even been given the moniker ‘Silicon Gorge’ in recent years.

And it’s not surprising. Some of the world’s biggest companies have established themselves in the area, which is now home to 17,500 tech firms including chip maker Graphcore, engineering giant Dyson and software firm Cardstream.

According to a report earlier this year by trade body Tech South West, the West of England’s technology sector already generates £11bn of gross value added (GVA) for the region’s economy, and is forecast to rise to close to £19bn over the next five years.

Bristol, in particular, is making a name for itself as a home for tech start-ups. The city was one of the most successful in Europe for attracting tech investment in 2022, analysis by the º£½ÇÊÓƵ’s Digital Economy Council found. But there’s plenty going on elsewhere across the region, too.

Britain’s first space launch will take place at Spaceport Cornwall this year, while Bridgwater in Somerset is home to Hinkley Point C nuclear plant, which will use cutting-edge technology when it becomes active.

Then there’s Devon, with its twin science parks and universities, and Gloucestershire, whose cyber security sector is flourishing. The county’s proposed Golden Valley Development will have the º£½ÇÊÓƵ’s new National Cyber Innovation Centre at its heart but will also include high-tech workspace for cyber start-ups. Dorset also has strengths in digital and agritech, while Wiltshire has become well-established for life sciences and defence.

Dan Pritchard, co-founder of Tech South West, said: “When you put it all together, the innovation and acceleration happening across the South West of England is startling.”