Birmingham is booming! The city's tech scene is growing and becoming more established every day.
Coding Bootcamps, investment initiatives and national infrastructure projects are just a few reasons to be excited if you’re a startup in Birmingham, which boasts a digital workforce as diverse as its thriving local economy.
The city has one of the most diverse digital technology workforces in the UK, with 26% of employees having a BAME background, compared to the national average of 15%.
As well as being named the second most entrepreneurial city in the UK after London, Birmingham has risen from fourth to claim the number two spot on a list of the UK's leading tech cities outside of London, cementing the city's reputation as an established location for tech companies.
The CBRE's Tech Cities study ranks the top 15 cities in the United Kingdom outside of London based on a variety of criteria, including access to talent, availability of office space, proximity to institutions offering high-quality technical education, cost of living, and employment costs.
With more than 6,000 technology businesses employing over 38,000 people, Birmingham is one of the UK's major digital hubs and home to a number of world-leading companies, including CISCO, HSBC, Deutsche Bank, and Jaguar Land Rover.
The West Midlands is making a name for itself on the world stage, thanks to major events such as the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and Coventry City of Culture 2021.
The second-largest city area in the UK has all of the necessary ingredients to become a top technology hub: a central location, good transport links, a growing population of talented young people, great office space, and a thriving business community.
Brum is also home to several world-class universities, including Aston University, the University of Birmingham, and Birmingham City University, which are producing the next generation of tech talent.
Outside of London, Birmingham is home to the most start-ups in the UK, with 18,394 in 2020, and one of the fastest-growing populations and economies in the country.
Small business rates relief, the Birmingham Enterprise Zone, and a central location are just some of the reasons that Birmingham is an attractive proposition for businesses.
The Innovation Birmingham campus is one of over 40 accelerators and incubators in the area dedicated to promoting startups and assisting budding entrepreneurs, offering coworking, office space, and business services to encourage digital and technology startups to launch, expand, and thrive.
The campus is based in the heart of the city's Knowledge Quarter and is home to over 170 forward-thinking companies in Fintech, cyber security, AR/VR, blockchain, sports tech, edtech, mobility and other industries.
Digbeth, Birmingham's creative quarter, is brimming with fantastic things to do, places to eat, and quirky creative enterprises that are worth exploring.
The former industrial hub has been transformed into a trendy entrepreneurial creative centre and the area is now home to a number of tech firms, co-working spaces, and creative businesses.
The Custard Factory has been given a new lease of life and is now a hotspot for businesses.
Birmingham has become an indisputably creative area of our dynamic, growing, and business-focused region with innovative entrepreneurs collaborating and driving innovation across the city.
The tech scene in Birmingham is continuing to grow with many new and exciting businesses popping up all over the city.
If you're thinking of setting up a tech business, Birmingham is definitely the place to be!
Do you agree that Birmingham is booming? Let us know in the comments below! Birmingham is truly a city on the rise. Thanks for reading!
