West Midlands Tech Review
On Tuesday 29th March Birmingham Tech published their West Midlands Tech Review and a guest list of 500 people from the tech sector joined them in Birmingham University’s Great Hall for a celebration event.
The West Midlands Tech Review sets out some of the exciting and interesting work taking place in the region. From the West Midlands Digital Roadmap, launched by the West Midlands Combined Authority and to which techUK has added its weight and voice, to 5G Connectivity (the West Midlands is the region ranked highest for 5G coverage in the UK) to a new Proftech hub and the gaming capital of Europe located in Silicon Spa.
And as the report notes, the region tends to shout about its standing enough, but it should:
“It’s not the West Midlands way to make a fuss when we’re doing something spectacularly well, but the secret is out about tech: in 2021 the Office of National Statistics certified the West Midlands as the fastest growing tech scene in the country, and in 2022 CBRE affirmed the judgement when Birmingham leapfrogged from fourth to second in their ranking of UK tech cities.”
As techUK’s CEO, Julian David, set out in his keynote address to the launch attendees, this progress and the championing of the tech sector locally isn’t down to luck. There’s a collaborative approach being adopted that welcomes partnerships and that’s bearing fruit. Julian highlighted work being done by techUK members such as Kagool, West Midlands Growth Company (who co-authored the review), HSBC and Advanced.
However this report isn’t the end of the road, there’s more work to do in terms of digital skills, digital adoption and securing finance and investment in the region as noted in techUK’s Local Digital Capital Index for 2021. And the regions Tech Review notes the importance of these different components, such as in tech skills:
“To date, more than 2,000 local residents have taken part in digital bootcamps – 50% of whom are female and 50% from black and ethnic minority communities – with more than two-thirds of participants moving into good jobs.”
It’s important for the sector, companies, people and communities that we help develop basic digital skills but also a talent pipeline of digital talent. The report highlights just how much is going on in the West Midlands, and there’s more to come.
To download your copy of the report please visit this link: https://birmingham.tech/west-midlands-tech-review-report/
For more information, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us now:
Stephanie Barr
Stephanie Barr
Stephanie is the Programme Manager for SME Engagement and Nations & Regions at techUK.
Working across the two programmes, Stephanie develops activities to support the growth and development of tech SMEs and engages with members and stakeholders more broadly to help strengthen regional tech economies.
Prior to joining techUK, Stephanie worked for a political events company and as a Senior Caseworker for an MP. She holds an MA (HONS) in Politics from the University of Glasgow.
Outside of work, Stephanie enjoys travelling, climbing and playing squash.
- Email:
- [email protected]
Matt Robinson
Matt Robinson
Matt is techUK’s Head of Nations and Regions.
Matt joined techUK in June 2021 and leads techUK’s engagement with Devolved Government, Combined Authorities and Elected Mayors across the UK. He works with techUK’s members on growing and strengthening the digital economy across the UK including devolution, regional growth and developing tech ecosystems.
Matt was a City Councillor for 16 years (2010-2026), a former Parliamentary candidate and West Yorkshire mayoral candidate, he brings a first-hand understanding of how national policy is received and delivered locally.
Matt sits on a number of boards and bodies to help the tech sector including as a Non-Executive Director for the Tech for Good Alliance and a member of Manchester Digital Strategy Advisory Board.
Prior to joining techUK, Matt worked for several national education charities and membership bodies to develop their regional partnerships with schools, academy trusts, local authorities, and other stakeholders. He’s also worked with local authority leaders and other stakeholders to engage communities, work with elected members and improve public services.
Luke Newcombe
Luke Newcombe
Luke joined techUK in September 2025 as a Programme Manager for Local Public Services and Nations and Regions.
Luke works closely with members and stakeholders across industry and government at local, regional and national levels to support collaboration, drive innovation and strengthen tech-enabled public services. His work supports the development of strong local and regional tech economies by helping organisations to engage with public sector challenges, explore emerging technologies and build impactful partnerships.
Prior to joining techUK, Luke worked at Enterprise Ireland, the Irish government’s export development agency. He began by advising SMEs on export strategy to the UK and later focused on connecting Irish businesses with multinational organisations to foster strategic partnerships, drive international growth and support economic development.
Luke holds an MSc in Political Economy from the University of Amsterdam and a BA in European Studies from Trinity College Dublin.
- Email:
- [email protected]
