First ever census of the UK's IT Industry to launch
The first ever comprehensive census of the UK's IT industry is to be launched this month in a pioneering project which will support business development and innovation.
Digital Nation, developed by the Shropshire-based UK IT Association, is beginning its roll-out on September 26.
As well as a census which will digitally map IT companies and new and ongoing projects, Digital Nation aims to help companies grow by assisting with research and development and finding new markets in the EU and further afield.
The census, backed by the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership, will also help to bring together companies with different areas of expertise and capability for business partnership opportunities.
UKITA director Andrew Corbett said Digital Nation was an ambitious project to strategically map the landscape of the IT industry.
“The UK IT Association exists to encourage the growth and business improvement of IT businesses, provide expert guidance in what technologies are available and encourage all parts of the industry to interact with each other.
“We've developed Digital Nation to help us achieve those aims, which we believe will bring massive benefits for businesses looking to work together on large-scale projects by combining their expertise. It will allow companies not only to find contracts, but importantly allow IT sector projects to find interested companies in their area and nationwide.”
“Coventry and Warwickshire was in at the start of what has now become the UK IT Association, formerly WMita, and has been one of our largest and most active branches. And Coventry and Warwickshire LEP is ahead of the curve when it comes to sector support for the IT and digital media sectors.
“With a dedicated focus group, chaired by Tracy Westall, sales director of SCC, the largest independent IT company in the EU, the partnership intends to act as a beacon for other LEPs to mobilise the IT and digital media industry in the region.
“As we roll out the Digital Census throughout the UK, we see Coventry and Warwickshire LEP as an excellent reference point for the value of this tool to other LEPs, local authorities and the further and higher education sectors.
“This is an ambitious project designed to discover and map out the strategic digital and IT assets of the UK. We are looking to work with people whose mission it is to engage and help these businesses and we'd be delighted to see them at the launch event on September 26.”
The launch event will be held at Warwick University Digital Lab from 11am to 2pm and will hear from speakers from the LEP, UKITA, the Digital Lab and the Serious Games Institute.
To register for the free launch event, go to www.ukita.co.uk/digitalcensus.
