London and Dublin are often touted as the technology centres of the UK and Ireland, respectively. These cities, bustling with people and featuring rising skyscrapers and advanced tech in many places, from parking sensors to the police, are well-positioned to be considered smart cities.
However, while these two capitals may seem like they are the centre of all tech, the reality is that both the UK and Ireland have many other more advanced cities and towns. These places, which offer lower living costs, more close-knit communities, and even extensive university research, are rapidly becoming tech hubs in their own right.
Let’s have a look at some of these cities to see how they are not only competing with the capitals but also surpassing them in a race to become tech centres.
Manchester
Underpinned by multiple universities that conduct extensive academic research, Manchester has quickly emerged as one of the fintech capitals of the region. Home to many traditional finance providers, the city has a variety of local research centres and business schools that help translate university research into practical solutions in the fintech world.
Because of this move from theory to practice, the city’s ability to offer unique fintech services has grown quickly, providing significant input to the local economy and making it one of the UK’s fastest-growing fintech hubs.
While fintech is the bread and butter of the city, other technological innovations are advancing rapidly too. Because of significant investment in AI talent within local universities and labs, new innovative systems are being developed for every industry, ranging from manufacturing to everyday services.
Bristol
Like Manchester, Bristol has emerged as a centre of innovation. However, rather than focusing on fintech solutions, this city is known for consistently making significant advances in manufacturing processes through advanced robotics and AI.
Due to the region’s strong engineering departments and companies, many industry-facing studies are undertaken regularly to understand the complexities and requirements across various manufacturing sectors. The research from these studies is being paired with investments that offer powerful computational resources to improve efficiency.
From new forms of robotics to aid movement along production lines to green tech that seeks to minimise the harmful impacts of manufacturing processes, the city is making a name for itself as the centre of innovative manufacturing technology. Recently, the introduction of AI-powered engineering agents has further accelerated the city’s reputation for cutting-edge engineering.
This ability to analyse through research and apply new methods has made Bristol popular among investors, with many seeking the quick turnaround from concept to prototype that the city is becoming known for.
Edinburgh
As the capital of Scotland, Edinburgh has a number of reputable universities and research centres that are known for their extensive research and detailed case study analysis. This reputation is expanding to include expertise in artificial intelligence research, fintech, and data science.
Among the most significant drivers of this increase in expertise is the support of local entrepreneurs, who have provided specialised mentoring, aided in providing access to investor networks, and provided facilities to test new systems. All this has helped the city develop several high-profile, scalable AI and fintech companies like FNZ and FreeAgent.
The history of successful startups within the region, paired with a continual supply of experts in computer sciences, has turned the city into a popular investment destination. These attributes, when combined with the steady supply of insights generated by numerous research programmes within the city, make Edinburgh even more desirable.
While AI research, advanced machine learning, and fintech innovations are the core of development within the region, the city is also known for companies that offer everything from enterprise management software to cybersecurity. This wide reach of specialisation is also positioning the city as one of the UK’s top tech hubs.
Belfast
Although many may gloss over Northern Ireland as a tech-focused region, the opposite is true. Belfast, in particular, has become a hub for technological advancement, especially within the creative technology and iGaming sectors.
Supported by multiple vocational and university courses that feed skilled graduates directly into the market, the city boasts lower operating costs for firms than in other regions and a good mix of local talent to recruit from. Targeted government support that aids in innovation exploration and startup ability has also significantly boosted the tech industry in the area.
Another notable aspect of the city is the collaborative culture, which extends between companies, universities, and even community events. This, along with the other factors above, has made the city a magnet for game developers and iGaming operators, some of which feature on Casinos.com’s list of new Irish online casinos.
Due to the nature of these industries, which rely on regulatory compliance and user-experience improvements, this closeness aids in companies expanding their abilities and offers to customers. The establishment of local networks of skilled individuals supported by the various learning opportunities in the region has helped make Belfast an attractive city for investors.
Collaboration in Practice
One of the hallmarks of each of the cities above is their educational institutions and the way they collaborate with private and public sector companies. By establishing research clusters that bring together a mix of students, professors, and industry leaders, research is accelerated and innovation is encouraged.
In addition to these research clusters, universities in these cities regularly host living labs, run incubators, and engage with industries on new ideas. This collaboration not only connects new innovators to existing companies but also supplies a testing ground where new ideas can be tested and pilot programmes can be developed further.
The result of this teamwork is not only faster research, greater innovation, and shorter times to market but additional investment from the government, other companies, and even other sectors looking to adapt cutting-edge tech for their purposes.
Conclusion
While there is no doubt that cities like London and Dublin are technological hubs, there is a shift occurring in which the region’s often overlooked outlying cities are becoming tech centres. Through collaboration, innovation, increased investment, and lower overheads, these cities are redefining technology across multiple sectors an