Digital and Information Economy

Our digital sector is growing at an unprecedented rate. From digital content and services, through to innovative solutions ready for the next generation of technology, we’re fast becoming the UK’s northern digital and information hub.

We’re used to that kind of growth and innovation, as the people of Yorkshire helped to drive the industrial revolution through our leadership in textiles, skilled engineering, steel manufacturing and through mining coal for the fuel to power it.

Digital image with digital facts in black and green font. Digital image with digital facts in black and green font.

Our industry now finds its outlet through an exciting, modern, mixed and balanced economy. We are proud that we still manufacture in Leeds, but now in a digital world we are proud to be a driving force in areas of creative media, data analytics, cyber security, FinTech, health and education technologies.

We are home to some of the best and most innovative businesses of the digital age. Channel 4 chose to move its national headquarters to Leeds, joining Sky and many others in our booming and exciting media, digital film, gaming and creative sector.

Leeds Digital Festival, largest tech event in the UK, is now heading into its 8th year, growing each year and now reaching an international audience.

The event first started in 2016 with just 50 events but last year the 2022 event had more than 250 events, with over 20,000 people attending with delegations from India, Poland and Estonia, as well as guests from over 60 countries attending the many online events that are part of the Festival.

2023 will kick off with the April “mini-fest” – a small-but-mighty programme of events curated by the Festival team with the main festival taking running from the 18th – 29th September 2023.

In February 2023 a new government-backed national hub for fintech was formally launched in Leeds, boosting growth and innovation in the UK.  The Centre for Finance, Innovation and Technology (CFIT) will champion the UK’s world-leading sector, helping firms to achieve truly global scale.

The Centre for Finance, Innovation and Technology (CFIT) is the first of its kind in the world and is backed by £5.5 million of Treasury and City of London Corporation funding.

This new body seeks to build on the dominance of the UK’s fintech sector – that supports around 2,500 firms, tens of thousands of jobs in the UK, and is second globally only to the US for fintech investment – powering ahead of economic behemoths such as China and India.

All of this and more is why Leeds is the fastest growing digital economy outside London.