Cornwall’s digital tech cluster might be small, but it is increasingly mighty – centred on Redruth and Truro, but expanding to Camborne, Falmouth, Newquay and beyond. People and businesses come for the coastal quality of life. They stay, however, for the community and the connectivity.
Superfast broadband means Truro now has more fibre connections than most European cities, while the sector is backed by a collaborative ecosystem. Founded in 2011, Software Cornwall has worked hard to turn once fragmented activity into a cohesive community.
What’s more, the Digital Peninsula Network supports 700 members throughout Cornwall. The Agile on the Beach conference is a highlight of the digital tech scene, while Invest in Cornwall works to attract new businesses.
Talent and skills are developing fast here. Falmouth University has set up an academy concentrating on the computer games industry, while Cornwall College has improved its computer courses to match industry needs and launched a new Software Degree.
The College has also teamed up with Bluefruit Software to launch their I Am Digital programme, helping students to earn their Technical Baccalaureate while working on real projects.
There is also increasing support for businesses from organisations like ‘Spark’ – a business development programme from Truro and Penwith Colleges – and networking opportunities such as the Software Cornwall Business Connect Event, held in January, (and last June), with 130+ attendees from digital tech businesses.
Plans are afoot to create Fibre Park, a business and education centre, while Superfast Cornwall is preparing to roll out further broadband upgrades.
Headforwards is an outsource software development company. We have a disruptive model that revolves around us building long lasting partnerships with our clients and providing them with dedicated teams of developers.
Location is an important part of our brand, but it also plays a part in our recruitment and staff retention. Cornwall is a desirable location for developers to be based in, and being here helps us to attract global talent.
Bluefruit Software specialises in developing embedded software for quality-focused equipment manufacturers in the medical/scientific, automotive and consumer sectors.
While there is a global shortage of digital tech skills, Bluefruit taps into the raw talent pool in Cornwall with a homegrown training strategy. This includes innovations such as the Digital Academy – a collaboration with Cornwall College.