
Digital & tech
The West of England is a globally significant technology cluster, with innovation at its core.
Fast, reliable, secure and well-connected digital infrastructure is essential for business. Our region is a leader in tech and innovation and Bristol is a leading Smart City with capabilities that are already some of the best in the UK.

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The Invest Bristol & Bath team offer extensive tailored support to companies interested in relocating and growing here.
The UK's most productive tech cluster
We are one of the biggest tech hubs in the country and have the largest tech workforce in the South West.
- A world-class 5G network and universal fast internet access by 2030
- Most innovative UK city outside of London (Paymentsense)
- Bristol no. 1 city in UK for tech jobs (Tech Nation 2022)
- Exceed 85% gigabit connectivity by 2025 across the West of England
- Home to five unicorns: Graphcore, OVO Energy, Pax8, Pismo & Vertical Aerospace

Digital transformation
We're revolutionising digital transformation in the West of England.
A leading Smart Cities location
We're home to a highly collaborative ecosystem, uniting people from diverse backgrounds and drawing on different areas of expertise, with R&D, academia, industry and the public sector working together. Our distinctive digital and tech sectors burst with innovation and creativity and have a wealth of expertise. We have capabilities in everything from fintech and immersive creative through to artificial intelligence (AI), quantum and biotech.
The region's four universities play a central role in strengthening the region’s digital and tech sector, from establishing SETsquared, to the new Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus. Our universities collaborate closely with businesses in life sciences, cyber security, quantum and robotics including several autonomous vehicle projects. The universities also produce a constant stream of highly-skilled graduates with one of the highest graduate retention rates in the country.


Bristol is Open was set up by Bristol City Council and the University of Bristol to develop a ‘test-bed’ programmable, digital infrastructure.
The programme’s research areas included:
- Software Defined Networking (SDN)
- Internet of Things (IoT) and Big Data analytics
- 5G
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML)
- CCTV analytics
- High-Performance Computing (HPC)


An award-winning Industrial Internet of Things (IoT) research and development testbed in South Gloucestershire. The testbed allows pioneers in digital technology to innovate and test new applications, processes, products, services, and business models to ascertain their usefulness and viability before taking them to market. In collaboration with Toshiba Research Labs, South Gloucestershire Council is building a 5G testbed in the north of Bristol. It will be an open 5G network connecting South Gloucestershire’s five innovation hubs: the Bristol & Bath Science Park, the National Composites Centre, UWE Bristol, and the IAAPS.




Disrupting the future of digital design
Bristol Digital Futures Institute is shaping the future of digital technology. Established in 2019 with £100 million in funding, it is pioneering a new approach to digital innovation.
By combining academic expertise with industry and community partnerships, they're creating knowledge and developing new technologies that address societal challenges.

The region features an internationally-leading robotics subsector, including:
- The Bristol Robotics Laboratory: Europe’s largest multi-disciplinary lab
- Future Space: These specialist facilities are located at the University of the West of England (UWE) campus. They provide support and workspace for the region’s robotics, tech, and science-based scale-ups.
- Open Bionics: Creating the ‘Hero Arm’, which is the world’s first 3D-printed prosthetic arm for children

We are at the forefront of future quantum capability, with industry leaders like QTIC.
Bristol is set to play a major role in a series of new hubs being launched to ensure the UK fully benefits from the potential of quantum technologies in areas ranging from healthcare to national security. It is already pioneering in the field as the world’s first quantum photonics chip was developed in Bristol, and the region is the first 5GUK Test Network to become fully secured by quantum key distribution.
What we offer
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