North West TMT – going global
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 Jodi Birkett, TMT Partner at Deloitte in the North West
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The TMT sector is currently in vogue. From data centres to app developers, it’s a broad industry with plenty of potential for growth, while tech innovations have the ability to fundamentally change how we live, work and play. Here in the North West our TMT sector is very strong. We have a good mix of companies, from listed firms such as NCC Group and GB Group to fast growing privately owned businesses like UKFast, Avecto and Apposing, and exciting new companies including Apadmi, myparceldelivery.com, Fatsoma and Formissimo. Cities across the UK are busy trying to promote a start-up culture, encouraging entrepreneurship in the hope they will stumble upon the next Facebook or Google. There seems to be an ongoing debate about which city has the best tech sector – there’s TechCity in London; the likes of MediaCityUK, the Sharp Project and TechHub in Manchester, while Liverpool has the Baltic Triangle and Liverpool Science Parks. Whilst we have plenty of opportunity to benefit from “northshoring”, to accelerate growth, the North West needs to look beyond the UK and start thinking internationally. TMT often lends itself to the international stage. The services or products regularly translate well across borders, and there’s a reliance on technology all over the world. There are a number of regional TMT companies that are already making a mark globally which others can take their lead from. Cheadle-based endpoint security firm Avecto took the decision to establish a presence in the USA when it was still a start-up and is reaping the rewards now with an ever-expanding client base. Yippee Entertainment, based in The Landing at MediaCityUK, has developed apps which have topped global download charts, while cyber security firm NCC Group has been very successful in acquiring complementary businesses worldwide. GBGroup has also recently completed its first acquisition in Australia, covering the AsiaPac region. It’s clear from these examples that international success comes in different forms. What they all have in common is that they are now in much stronger positions due to their international strategies. From being the first mover in a new market to smashing through the domestic glass ceiling, the benefits of going global are many. With the IFB currently taking over Liverpool, this is the perfect opportunity for TMT firms to look beyond the UK’s borders. Forget about fighting it out with other rival cities and think about what your international strategy would look like. More articles in
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