dotSHF17 Conference: Economy Lightning Talk

These are Mel Kanarek and Chris Dymond's slides on the "Economy" domain from the dotSHF Conference, November 2017.

Mel Kanarek is founder of Tiger Nash, a communication and business support agency, and a founder and co-director of Sheffield Digital, the association for digital industries in Sheffield.

Chris Dymond is the founder of Unfolding Ltd, a digital innovation & capacity building agency, and also a co-founder and director of Sheffield Digital.

(All Rights Reserved)

Transcript

1. LIGHTNING TALKS ECONOMY Mel Kanarek & Chris Dymond - Sheffield Digital
2. ECONOMY State of Sheffield report 2017: • Productivity gap - GVA per head and per worker both lower than the national average (same for all core cities) - closing the gap would add £2.5bn to local economy • GVA per head lowest of all core cities, although 4th fastest growing • Very high proportion of micro-businesses • 3rd slowest start-up rate of the 10 core cities • Average salary is low, due to preponderance of low skilled jobs • But average skills are high, so many people underemployed • Unemployment rate is higher than the national average (69%)
3. ECONOMY - Digital industries TechNation 2017 report: • 18,961 digital jobs • Digital GVA £339m • 38% turnover growth What’s good? Quality of life, cost of living, tech sector growth potential. Biggest challenges? Lack of supply of highly skilled workers, poor transport infrastructure, low awareness of local digital industry. Digital productivity is high and sector growth is strong. Start-up activity is low.
4. ECONOMY - Startup/Scaleup ecosystem What exists? • Business Sheffield & SCR Growth Hub • USE & SHU Hatchery • Y-Accelerator (Rotherham) • IoT Tribe North (Barnsley) • Founders Network (Tech North) • Kollider? Challenges? • Access to finance/investment • Sheffield-based incubation/acceleration • Workspaces
5. ECONOMY - Innovation • Universities - Sheffield Innovation Programme • Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (University of Sheffield) • Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre (Sheffield Hallam University) • Links with Innovate UK - Knowledge Transfer Partnerships and Catapults • Generally - local heroes but low visibility
6. ECONOMY - Digitising the economy • Connectivity - continuing issue with city centre broadband • SuperFast South Yorkshire (SFSY) and related innovation vouchers • Skills (workforce and business leadership) • Google Garage and Bus • Uptake? Digital divide in business? - AMRC work to increase digital uptake in manufacturing
7. ECONOMY - City-centre economy Sheffield BID: • digital strategy • city centre WiFi • Sheffield Dashboard • digital platform/app using beacons £480m new retail quarter - 160,000 sqft office space and 57,500 sqft retail space, with HSBC as anchor tenant Importance of cultural/leisure offer - theatres, events, festivals, food and drink, experiences Night-time economy (Social Sheffield, Alive after Five)
8. ECONOMY - Inward investment • Invest Sheffield / Sheffield City Region (annual visit to MIPIM) • AMRC - £50m investment from McLaren, £40m from Boeing • “Northshoring” • Channel 4 bid / Sheffield Screen Institute • Chinese investment (Horasis, New Era Developments) • Sky Betting & Gaming, Jet2
9. ECONOMY - Advanced digital skills • SHU Degree apprenticeships (undergrad and masters level) • Sheffield College apprenticeships (level 4) • The two UTCs (specialisms in computing, creative and digital media • Institute of Coding bid • Institute of Technology bid • Northcoders • Grassroots: meetups, CodeFirstGirls, CodeUp, Django Girls
10. CHALLENGE: How do we create sustainable incubation & acceleration provision in the city?