Local tech ready for take-off as £1m programme backs projects across the UK
Local tech ready for take-off as £1m programme backs projects across the UK
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Fourteen projects designed to boost tech businesses and create jobs across the UK have been unveiled as part of the UK Government’s £1 million Regional Tech Booster programme.
The scheme aims to strengthen regional tech ecosystems, providing targeted training, expert guidance, and scaling support to ensure the benefits of a thriving tech sector reach communities outside London.
Projects will be rolled out across Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales, and England, with initiatives ranging from early-stage gaming startup support in Scotland to advanced connectivity technology in Suffolk. Others will focus on AI adoption, creating pathways from education to entrepreneurship, and backing underrepresented founders with the networks and resources needed to succeed.
The programme is being delivered in partnership with the UK Tech Cluster Group and will include a series of National Investment Corridors events, starting in Bristol and Leeds later this year. These will showcase regional innovation and connect businesses with investors to drive funding into local talent.
One of the flagship initiatives is an AI innovation challenge in Wales, designed to accelerate capability and adoption of artificial intelligence among businesses and entrepreneurs.
Tech for Growth Minister, Kanishka Narayan MP, said: “We want UK tech to grow and succeed from any and every corner of the country. It’s a no-brainer that supporting projects like these, and encouraging more investment across the UK, will catalyse our tech brilliance to boost economic growth and opportunities for communities nationwide.”
He added: “The Welsh tech sector is thriving, employing 55,000 last year, and worth over £17 billion. I want to harness the dynamism of the sector and use the Regional Tech Booster programme to spark AI capability and innovation across Wales.
“This work will equip businesses and entrepreneurs with practical AI skills and help them integrate AI solutions to grow to new heights, creating more jobs and opportunities for Welsh communities and tech talent.”
Secretary of State for Wales, Jo Stevens, said: “The UK Government is supporting Wales’s brilliant tech sector to capitalize on the potential of AI for businesses.
“We have put economic growth at the heart our mission to achieve prosperity in every part of the country and the tech sector is vital for achieving the skilled and well-paid jobs that I want to see coming to Wales.”
Dr David Dunn, UKTCG lead on Catalyst Pilot Projects, said: “The sheer volume of strong applications we received shows there is a huge desire to grow tech ecosystems across the whole of the UK. As the projects are delivered, we are excited to share learning across other ecosystems – it is this multiplier effect of knowledge transfer that really makes the Regional Tech Booster initiative valuable.”
The programme also includes workshops on ecosystem planning and sharing best practice with local authorities, with further details and event dates to be announced by the UK Tech Cluster Group.
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