Editorial

Manchester’s “thriving” digital sector praised in new report

North West seen as attractive relocation option, especially by formerly London-based digital professionals

Posted 28 November 2016 by Gary Flood


'Manchester, Bank of Armani,' by Paul on FlickrTwo thirds of respondents to a recent poll about attitudes to Manchester’s digital sector say they think the city is a good place to set up a business.

The #RelocateMCR report by trade association for digital businesses in the North West Manchester Digital questioned 300 digital professionals on their views on living in and working the city.

The research, which aims to encourage more such digital practitioners to relocate to the region, found that four in five professionals working in the digital sector in Manchester would recommend the city to their friends.

77% of respondents said they view Manchester as a digital hub, while 63% stated they enjoy the range of networking events on offer in the sector, for example, while the data suggests the city is a popular location for relocators, particularly from London. No less than 80% of respondents have moved to the North West from elsewhere, and of these, one in five have moved from London; the same proportion, 80%, told researchers they intend to stay in Manchester in the mid-term.

Manchester was also recently voted the most livable city in the UK for the second year running in the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Global Livability Survey.

Commenting on the findings, Katie Gallagher, managing director at Manchester Digital, said: “We found that a huge number of people who work in the digital and technology industries have chosen to relocate to the city – and the pull isn’t just across the UK, we are attracting talent from Europe, too.

“The fact that most people would recommend working here to a friend, and that so many people believe it’s a brilliant place to launch a start-up, gives us hope that more and more skilled professionals will move here and work with us to continue to grow the region’s booming digital and tech sector.

“Ultimately, we want this report to encourage those people that might be considering a move, to relocate to Manchester and reap not just the professional benefits, but also the personal ones that this thriving city has to offer.”

Gallagher and her team say they are now inviting other businesses to get on board with our #RelocateMCR campaign and help us in attracting the top talent that the city needs to enable it to “thrive”.

Manchester Digital describes itself as the independent trade association for the digital sector in the North West of England.