The Canterbury campus of the University of Kent launched its sixth college back in 2014 naming it in honour of mathematician and computer pioneer Alan Turing, one of the titans of 20th Century scientific progress.
Linking to the famous World War II Bletchley Park code breaker is the perfect association for a part of Kent that has become a by-word for innovation for this millennium.
Like Silicon Valley to Californian tech innovators, Canterbury is where it’s at for a growing number of today’s Kent based pioneers who have wisely chosen this well-connected location to realise their ambitions and take on the world.
Just a stone’s throw away from Turing Road is the cool steel and glass of Canterbury Innovation Centre. This is where business at the cutting edge of innovation are quietly making their mark, pushing progress, disrupting the status quo, building the future.
Businesses like Ingenium Biometric Laboratories, which plays a critical role in keeping Britain’s digital economy safe from cyberattack, is part of this important incubator for spinouts and starts ups. These are firms either taking their first steps into the commercial world or wishing to tap into the quality of academia and nationally important research taking place on their doorstep.
So, what is it about the place that is encouraging more tech innovators and the supply businesses that support them to choose Canterbury?
A thriving tech cluster
From the cutting edge of science to software development, digital marketing to the creative industries, AI to data analysis, a tech ecosystem has developed in Canterbury attracting significant business growth over the past five years.
Companies like Canterbury AI Ltd, specialists in generative AI software for a diverse range of industries – from MedTech and FinTech to social media and travel, working with global players including Microsoft, Nvidia and Google.
There are many reasons why this has happened, not least the presence of three universities with faculties leading groundbreaking research in food innovation, biosciences and pharmaceutical research.
Companies like computer simulation game specialists, Dovetail Games may be based outside Canterbury, but they are a great example of another Kent business tapping into that technological expertise, regardless of their location. The University of Kent’s software engineers and research capabilities are much in demand with industry links stretching back decades, from Sun Microsystems in the early 2000s to Cisco and Siemens today.
Graduates from speciality schools in engineer and medicine and links with Kent Science Park and Discovery Park – two of the UK’s key centres for the life sciences – are further adding to the talent pool that exists here and is attracting the right attention. From mechatronic labs focused on sustainable ways for humans and robots to work side by side to the latest in clinical expertise that will further drive innovation, it’s all here.
Co-working spaces, including The Fruitworks and business incubators like Canterbury Innovation Centre provide the flexible workspace that freelancers, entrepreneurs and tech start-ups require in today’s hybrid working economy. Having a vibrant culturally rich and historic city, and miles of beautiful coastline nearby to explore only serves to add to the attraction.
This is a place that recognises the importance and value of collaboration, a where tech companies and the wider supply chain can benefit from access to shared, resources and research partnerships – and a great quality of life to boot. This is a place where building connections is easy, in a setting that lends itself perfectly to being inspired.
With access to a skilled workforce, alongside the district’s strategic location between London and Europe and its commitment to digital infrastructure it’s no surprise that Canterbury has emerged as a vibrant tech cluster – part of an East Kent coastal corridor brimming with investment opportunities and innovation.
Want to find out more about why your business should choose Canterbury. Contact our team today.