Dominic Harvey, Director at CWJobs commented on the research: “Has the London tech bubble finally burst? Not quite, but Manchester is proving itself as an ever more dominant force for tech talent. The city’s strong tech educational institutions and the appealing work/life balance it offers make it an ever more viable option compared to London. That said, London still has serious weight for tech talent and tech companies and that’s not likely to change any time soon.
“Investment by the UK Government in infrastructure and communications has clearly proven fruitful in Manchester, however, more can still be done, particularly in the rest of the Northern Powerhouse. We’ve already seen high-profile businesses, such as the BBC, relocate to the region and I expect that if more investment is placed on infrastructure this number will only continue to grow. Once Northern cities are better connected, there is no saying how many businesses may take the leap and move to the region.”
Henri Murison, Director of Northern Powerhouse Partnership, added: “It is promising to see that the Northern Powerhouse is so favoured as a place for digital start up activity; almost one in four IT decision makers surveyed would choose to launch in the Northern Powerhouse. We also find through our own dialogue with businesses, both here in the UK and globally, that the attractions of our great cities have never been more widely known to those who want to come on in and be part of the Northern Powerhouse.
“We need to support tech start-ups with access to investment funding and mentoring, as well as train and retain our young people to meet the demand for highly-skilled digital roles. We need to see an improvement in connectivity and lead the way on world class digital infrastructure, with businesses working closely with our city leaders to foster a digital environment to support our entrepreneurs, and those wishing to lead the next Industrial Revolution in their own businesses.”
