Yorkshire secures local Digital Catapult Centre
YORKSHIRE has been chosen to launch one of three local Digital Catapult Centres, to rapidly advance the best digital ideas and help accelerate the UK’s digital growth.
The Digital Catapult, headquartered in London, has appointed three LEP led consortia to establish the local Digital Catapult Centres in Bradford, Sunderland and Brighton. All three are due to open in March 2015.
The centres have a united aim of generating thousands of new jobs, driving innovation at a local level and creating millions in linked investment and future funding by 2025. They will support the London King’s Cross Digital Catapult Centre which will be opened today by Digital economy minister Ed Vaizey. They will help accelerate the UK’s digital economy by providing entrepreneurs, SMEs, researchers and corporate organisations with a physical space to meet and collaborate on development projects.
The Digital Catapult Centre Yorkshire will be led by Leeds City Region LEP and York, North Yorkshire and East Riding LEP. It will support digital health innovation and the development of new healthcare products and services.
The Digital Catapult will initially support the three LEPs with resources and collaborative support of up to £500,000. This includes the cost of setting up each local Digital Catapult Centre, costs for developing and delivering projects agreed and aligned with the Catapult’s focus areas and for use of Catapult resources to support engagement and initiatives.
Vaizey said: “It is an exciting time to be a tech business in the UK. Our digital economy is already one of the strongest markets in the world, valued at more than £100bn. Growth areas including the Internet of Things and digital creative industries are opening up a range of new opportunities for companies in the sector.
“The new Digital Catapult Centre will provide a thriving, state-of-the-art hub for some of the country’s most innovative digital companies and entrepreneurs.”
Neil Crockett, CEO, the Digital Catapult said: “Some of the most exciting digital innovation in the UK is happening in local communities that bring together new ideas, businesses, universities and the public sector. As a national centre, it is important we support and collaborate with these local innovation communities who are doing amazing things in our focus areas. The open call has only reinforced our view that there are many brilliant digital innovation communities across the UK, and we hope it is the start to building a whole range of exciting future relationships.”
Professor Brian Cantor, vice-chancellor of the University of Bradford, said that as a world-leading technology university, Bradford is ideally suited to this initiative.
“The centre will build on our recently launched Digital Health Enterprise Zone, enabling companies developing new healthcare products and services to connect with Bradford’s outstanding capabilities in healthcare systems research, practice-based medicine and information and communications technology and with other centres nationally, driving the UK digital economy,” he added.
Roger Marsh, chair of the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership said he believes the project will enable businesses to maximise the opportunities from new technologies such as big data and has the potential to contribute significant economic growth for both the Leeds City Region and the wider northern economy.
LEPs will match this funding using a mix of HEFCE, Research Council and other university funds, EU and ESI funds, local growth funds and in-kind contributions from local businesses and networks.
