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The UK is a premier location for ICT related industries with the largest software and computer services sector in Europe. The ICT sector within England’s Northwest consists of 6,000 companies and 70,000 employees and offers international companies the high-tech infrastructure, renowned academic liaison and strong business support to establish leading business in many ICT sectors including software development, digital & creative and RFID.
Successful international companies based in England’s Northwest include IBM, Siemens and Hewlett Packard.
There is also an active trade association, Merseyside ICT, which represents over 700 companies employing over 8000 workers in the Liverpool City region. The region has the largest concentration of ICT related industries outside the Southeast of England, which has led to the development of a highly skilled pool of software engineers as well as analysts and programmers.
The Northwest of England is home to attractive ICT clusters in Europe thanks to substantial investment in creating successful support organisations. Examples are as follows:
FACT
The £10 million Liverpool based Foundation for Art & Creative Technology (www.fact.co.uk) centre is the UK’s leading agency for the exhibition, support and development of artists’ film, video and new media projects.
M62 Games Network
As the regional sector development agency for digital gaming, the M62 Games Network (www.m62gamesnetwork.co.uk) encourages the flow of information amongst developers and relating services in the region and helps to broker links between the industry, universities and local government.
Testimonials: Information & Communication Technologies
"The North of England offers a wealth of benefits that are key to our continued success. Our prosperity greatly depends on our employees, and the region has a highly motivated loyal workforce, and several well-respected universities on its doorstep. As a high-tech company, the availability of quality research and development facilities is also vital. Increasingly, the region is gaining a reputation as a prime location for leading technology companies."
Steve Purdam, Chief Executive, SurfControl, Cheshire
"Being at the forefront of exciting new developments in mobile video streaming technology makes it important for us to be located close to local universities to benefit from the skills and expertise of Manchester’s hi-tech research and knowledge base. Excellent global transport links and the availability of prestigious office space was also an essential ingredient for us as a leading edge software company."
David Stead, Managing Director, VICS Mobile Video Solutions, Manchester
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