Tech Nation Worcester

Worcester & Malvern – sometimes referred to as ‘Cyber Valley’ – is a leading cluster for the development of cyber security products and services, influenced by its close proximity to GCHQ in Cheltenham and the SAS in Hereford.

The cluster recorded a 71% increase in employment between 2011 and 2014 – the second highest growth rate in the UK. Productivity in the area is also high, with a 48% growth in turnover and 56% growth in GVA during the same period. A number of the cluster’s cyber security companies began as spinouts from QinetiQ, the privatised arm of the Government’s Defence Evaluation and Research Agency, including DeepSecure and D-RisQ.

The digital tech community is supported by organisations such as Key IQ Ltd, which runs a co-working space encouraging networking and collaboration. The Malvern Cyber Security Cluster, a group made up of more than 80 small companies, also cooperate on initiatives that improve the cyber security of local enterprises and raise awareness of relevant issues among young people.