Event round-up: 2024 Local Digital Index launch – A vision for inclusive economic growth

On 3 December, techUK launched the 4^th edition of its Local Digital Index with a successful event in Manchester, hosted by techUK member Codurance. Thank you to our new delivery partner The Data City, headline sponsor BT Group, and sponsor MOORE Kingston Smith LLP, for their support.

Hosted by Matt Evans, Chief Operating Officer and Director of Markets at techUK, the event explored the results and findings of the report and provided a series of recommendations in response to the challenges identified.

Recommendations:

Opening the event, Matt emphasised that the sector is in good health, employing 1.7 million people and contributing £99 billion to the economy each year. As the UK Government continues to consult on the Industrial Strategy and Local Growth Plans, it is clear that we need to nurture the sector, recognising the impact of digital not only on the digital sector but also on the wider economy.

The Local Digital Index features three regional case studies – Glasgow City Region, Greater Manchester and the West Midlands, and we were pleased to host the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, who delivered the keynote address.

The Mayor updated attendees on the progress Manchester was making in relation to becoming a leading digital city region within the UK and committed to rising to the top of the digital skills Index in the next five years through initiatives such as the Manchester Baccalaureate. He noted that addressing the digital skills challenge would be the single biggest factor in determining the success of the digital economy in the city region.

In addition to talent, the Mayor stressed the ongoing importance of collaboration in growing the digital economy - both between the private, public and third sectors, and between the nations and regions - and investment in our physical and digital infrastructure.

The broader data from the 2024 Index was presented by Paul Connell, Chair and Founder of The Data City. Noting that cities and regions have different strengths, Paul suggested that each should use the data to understand what is being done well and where, rather than seeking to be number one in every area. The aim of the Index tool is to showcase geographical strengths and challenges, helping to inform decision making that will drive growth and technological advancements across the country.

Collaboration, skills and investment were key themes of the Index and were picked up in the panel discussion that followed with Helen Swift, UK Public Affairs Manager at Airbus; Paul Oliver, Architecture Director for Corporate Units at BT Group and Marie Hamilton, Government Strategic Partnership Director at Microsoft UK.

The panellists also discussed how AI could drive productivity across a range of industries, how it could make a difference in public services and how it could improve people’s lives, for example, by driving better health outcomes.

Matt concluded the session by asking the panellists to suggest one newsletter, podcast or other tool which would help attendees keep up with the pace of change within the technology space. Matt himself suggested a Substack by journalist James O’Malley, while Helen recommended Politico as a tool to help understand the impact of geopolitics on technology. Tying in with the earlier theme of skills, Marie directed the audience to the Microsoft Digital Skills Hub.

To view the 2024 Local Digital Index, including techUK’s recommendations, please visit the website. If you would like to find out more about how the Index relates to your nation or region, or would like to collaborate with techUK, please get in touch with the Nations and Regions team.

Nations and Regions Programme activities

techUK champions the tech sector throughout the UK. We work with local authorities, devolved government, and local and national policy makers to advocate for the tech sector in strengthening economic growth and resilience across the nations and regions. Visit the programme page here