Call for local business to influence the region's digital future
The period is now open for all organisations to contribute their ideas to the development of a Digital Sector Strategy. This newly established, independent initiative will consolidate the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA) area as a global leader of cutting-edge technology development and adoption. It will recommend a series of actions for achieving higher regional productivity by strengthening the already thriving technology sector and disseminating the benefits of digital and communications technology into other vertical industries and across the whole region.
Business leaders are now being asked to submit their opinions across eleven focus areas through a survey that will close on Friday 21 December. This input will prioritise a series of actionable recommendations through which the public and private sector could increase local GVA through better use of the region's technology assets:
- Entrepreneurship – delivering conditions of growth for new technology businesses and their founders
- Investment & Finance – ensuring growth funds are available to technology companies throughout the region
- Talent & Skills – increasing the supply of skilled labour for the tech sector and increasing the ability of firms across all sectors to deploy technology best practice
- High Impact Networking – ensuring that companies, entrepreneurs and technology communities are well connected across the region
- Knowledge Transfer – increasing the flow of ideas, knowledge and IP across the region
- International Trade – inspiring a step change in exports for technology firms
- Foreign Direct Investment – increasing the level of investment from overseas firms
- Technology Infrastructure – ensuring first mobile and fibre broadband is available to all businesses across the region
- Links within the UK – developing better links with other parts of the UK
- Transforming Industry – helping sectors throughout the region take advantage of cutting-edge technology
- Supply Chains – supporting more local companies to fulfil the technology sector’s supply needs
The creation of this Digital Sector Strategy has strong support from business and local government. The project is led by a representative board chaired by David Cleevely (Raspberry Pi) with CW (Cambridge Wireless) and Anglia Ruskin University as core delivery partners. This steering board and virtual advisory group includes representatives from organisations such as Arm, Cambridge Angels, Connecting Cambridgeshire and Form the Future. With funding from CPCA, recommendations from this research will provide important evidence to the Local Industrial Strategy being coordinated by the CPCA.
David Cleevely, Chairman of Raspberry Pi Foundation and Chair of the Digital Sector Strategy Steering Board says:
“At the heart of this sector strategy is the idea of inclusive and sustainable growth. Whether you work at a cutting-edge, deep-tech multinational wanting access to top talent, or a retail start-up hoping to improve efficiency through ICT best practice, our goal is to create a series of actionable recommendations for the region that will give local organisations the support that they need to thrive, long-term.”
Simon Mead, CEO of (CW) Cambridge Wireless) says:
“This sector strategy is a much-needed addition to the ongoing economic development of the area. We welcome all regional businesses no matter the size, sector or location to input into this framework. Within the community there will be many imaginative and effective ideas for how we can better harness and share the potential of technology to grow the local economy, and we want to hear them all.”
Dr Matthew Day, Deputy Dean for Research and Innovation at Anglia Ruskin University says:
“The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority already has unparalleled technological strengths; our aim is to gather evidence which will underpin a framework for future success. We want to maximise the benefit the digital sector brings to the region and deliver the right skills for inclusive growth, maintaining our position as a global leader and attractive international destination for companies.”
The survey is accessible through this link:
https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/DigitalSectorStrategy
Further information on this project is available through the Cambridge Wireless website:
https://www.cambridgewireless.co.uk/programmes/Digital-Strategy/
Additional opportunities for involvement will become available and will be advertised accordingly. Please contact ICTStrategy@cambridgewireless.co.uk for further details.
Press contact: Eleanor Brash, Head of Marketing at CW, Eleanor.brash@cambridgewireless.co.uk
About CW (Cambridge Wireless)
CW is the leading international community for companies involved in the research, development and application of wireless and mobile, internet, semiconductor and software technologies.
With over 400 members from major network operators and device manufacturers to innovative start-ups and universities, CW stimulates debate and collaboration, harnesses and shares knowledge, and helps to build connections between academia and industry.
CW's 19 Special Interest Groups (SIGs) provide its members with a dynamic forum where they can network with their peers, track the latest technology trends and business developments and position their organisations in key market sectors. CW also organises major conferences and start-up competitions along with other high-quality industry networking events and dinners. With headquarters at the heart of Cambridge, UK, CW partners with other international industry clusters and organisations to extend its reach and remain at the forefront of global developments and business opportunities. For more information head to www.cambridgewireless.co.uk.
About Anglia Ruskin University
Anglia Ruskin is an innovative global university, brimming with ambition. Students from 177 countries gain qualifications with us in four continents. Students, academics, businesses and partners all benefit from our outstanding facilities; we’ve invested £100 million over the last five years and plan to invest a further £91 million over the next five years.
Anglia Ruskin’s Research Institutes and four faculties bridge scientific, technical and creative fields. We deliver impactful research which tackles pressing issues and makes a real difference, from saving lives to conserving water. Our academic excellence has been recognised by the UK’s Higher Education funding bodies, with 12 areas classed as generating world-leading research.
We are ranked in the world’s top 350 institutions in the 2019 Times Higher Education World University Rankings, and in 2016 we featured in a list of the 20 “rising stars” in global Higher Education compiled by strategy consultants Firetail.