Bournemouth & Poole Have The Fastest Growing Digital Economy
Bournemouth has been dubbed as the fastest growing digital town in the UK according to the report by Tech Nation.
During the study they found that the number of digital startups was up by 212% since 2010.
Leading the way was the Advertising and Marketing sector, followed closely by e-commerce (online shops) and game development (apps and computer games). Currently there are over 450 Dorset businesses that are registered in the area, which has seen a massive increase in just the last few years. With the increase of growth training for small businesses from local supporting companies like Dorset Growth Hub and WSX Enterprise, the speed in which the towns digital businesses are growing is apparent.
Successful startups are flocking to the area which is quickly becoming known as ‘silicon south’, a UK take on the famous ‘silicon valley’ in Northern California, home to massive tech giants such as Google, Facebook, Apple inc, Adobe, Netflix, Ebay and Yahoo.
Digital Storm, a leading digital agency in the south, collaborate and support both the Dorset Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DCCI) and Dorset Growth Hub (who we recently built their website for). They continue to position themselves at the heart of digital media innovation for local businesses.
The Top Three Digital Sectors In Dorset:
Advertising And Marketing
E-Commerce
Gaming and Game Development
The Top Five Capabilities In Dorset:
UI And UX design
Mobile App Development
Visual & Audio Design
Content & Media Production
Digital Marketing
(source Tech Nation)
As more and more Millennials are wanting to do work that is more purposeful and meaningful, tech companies allow the entrepreneur to be locationally independent as the internet is providing them with the opportunity to start and create new companies from just a vision or idea. Along with the support from local organisations, entrepreneurs are getting a head start when it comes to receiving the best, most relevant advice combined with living on the gorgeous south coast makes the startup proposition sound very appealing.
Some resources suggest that a lot of the growth and talent for the digital sector is coming from the University Of Bournemouth, the young apprentices and graduates are learning the most current trends and technologies and applying them to real life business practices both as interns and after graduation.
The university even has a centre for entrepreneurship and a business incubation centre which is contributing to the amount of young tech startups in the area. Studies even suggest that startups associated with universities have a 40 percent greater chance of surviving because of the support they receive.
So, do you believe that the growth of digital in bournemouth is mostly organic?
Or do you think the government support and initiatives are fuelling the growth?
