Thames Valley: Reading is a key digital tech location in UK

Reading is one of the key digital towns/cities in the UK, according to the findings of the 2018 Tech Nation report.

The 2018 Tech Nation report highlights the growing strength of Berkshire’s digital tech sector. The report includes in-depth data visualisations for exploring the digital tech sector in all parts of the UK, as well as recommendations for tech businesses, policymakers and corporates for further accelerating the growth of UK tech.

The digital tech business turnover in Reading was £13.6 billion in 2017 - with more than 58,000 jobs in the sector in the town.

In one year there were 283 new digital tech companies founded in Reading.

Reading is identified as a 'digital tech hotspot' with over eight times the concentration of digital jobs compared with the UK average.

The report states: “Reading’s proximity to London and Heathrow airport has long attracted major multinationals, including Microsoft and Oracle. However, its startup community is now growing too, and tapping into the established expertise and resources available in the city.”

Oxford has a digital turnover of £1.8 billion with 25,637 digital jobs.

Caroline Perkins, Thames Valley Berkshire LEP’s economic research analyst, said: “This year’s Tech Nation report is first-class. It provides a detailed assessment of Berkshire digital tech ecosystem, highlighting its many strengths. We welcome the adoption of an open data reporting approach and intend to use the granular data provided to strengthen our local evidence base.”

Southampton has a digital tech business turnover of £2.1 billion - but significantly the turnover is up 41% from 2014, suggesting that the city is growing this sector exponentially.

The city saw 125 new digital businesses formed in 2016.