Over the past three years Yorkshire has experienced a 48 per cent increase in digital tech jobs, the highest growth rate compared with anywhere else in the country, according to research by Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (the LEP).
We’re seeing more and more tech companies choosing to put roots down in Leeds which means more jobs, more innovation and more opportunities for collaboration. This increase has also meant that tech jobs within the region have risen from 58,000 to 86,000 and is the highest growth rate by far outpacing the rest of the UK, including London.
Yorkshire’s reputation as a digital tech hub is supported by the talent emerging from universities in the region. The lower cost of living versus London means graduates are more likely to stay in the area with Leeds retaining almost 30 per cent of its students after graduation.
The digital health sector in the UK has experienced a significant inflow of capital, with over £694 million raised in 2020 which is 63 per cent over the five-year average. New technology, particularly the growth of AI, simulation modelling and bioinformatics will see the emergence of companies that are currently largely unknown. These companies will need office space and typically look to set up close to major growth areas.
As a region, Yorkshire has become one of the very best for businesses looking to expand into the healthcare sector. From the smallest three-person operations to the largest employer in Europe, they all want a slice of what the region has to offer.
Four out of the five NHS national offices are based in Leeds, including NHS England, and some of the world’s largest healthcare data platforms – including NHS Spine, and NHS database. The NHS is also taking 20,000 Sq ft at the refurbished 1 Park Lane and 10,000 Sq ft at 1 City Square.
The region has an exceptional life sciences talent pool, with more than 196,000 people employed in health and science jobs, while the region’s nine universities produce over 15,000 STEM graduates each year.
It is also home to six world-leading life science clusters of academic excellence and commercial innovation, as well as having the largest concentration of medical device companies in the UK, in addition to a cluster of over 200 different businesses and accounting for a fifth of all UK digital health technology jobs.
With medical technologies, including telemedicine, which will be fundamental to how healthcare is delivered, set to be key growth areas for the healthcare sector, Leeds’ combination of healthcare and tech hubs will see it positioned perfectly to take advantage of this growth.
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