Tech Central launched to showcase Warwickshire as leaders in innovation
Warwickshire County Council has joined forces with Warwick District Council and local technology business owners to showcase Warwickshire as a hub of innovation capable of rivalling London’s Tech City.
The group kicked off with a social event in Leamington followed by a code-sharing ‘Cod-e-oke’ session. In the summer, they plan to launch workshops run by businesses supporting the tech community including legal firms, branding, marketing and growth specialists.
“Tech Central began to evolve after a networking event in London at which I heard for the 100th time that nothing exciting in technology happened outside of Tech City,” said Sarah Windrum, CEO of The Emerald Group, part of the founding team. "We need to change this perception so I spoke to the district and county councils and got in touch with local business-owners in the technology sector.
"We have such a range of talent from games developers to cyber-security experts and we all felt it was time the world knew about us.”
Chris White, the MP for Warwick and Leamington, opened the launch event and spoke enthusiastically about the venture. “It was great to see traditional businesses like Baxi networking with start-up software development companies and all discussing creative new ideas. It reminded me how important it is for every business to innovate and we have all the skills and talent we need right here.”
Warwickshire County Council works extensively with many businesses in the digital sector.
Council Leader Izzi Seccombe said: “Tech Central is all about collaboration and I am delighted that local government, education, and businesses are working together to expand the digital economy.
"We are already working on some exciting new projects, especially in skills, and our role is to ensure that we provide a supportive environment for all businesses to grow.”