READY FOR THE REVOLUTION
Blackburn College Cyber Zone
The arrival of National Cyber Force (NCF) in Lancashire can be a catalyst for massive economic growth and attract major inward investment in its wake.
That was the strong, positive message from business and education leaders, gathered at Blackburn College with Lancashire Business View to discuss how the county can best benefit from the force’s new HQ when it arrives next year.
They also stressed that training and skills will be vital to ensure Lancashire takes full advantage of the opportunities NCF and the £5bn being invested in its Samlesbury operation will bring, with more work to be done if it is to be at the vanguard of the cyber and digital revolution.
Kam Kothia, co-founder and chief executive of seoBusiness and an influential figure in the county’s technology sector, says: “I see the NCF as a catalyst that can drive the economy if we in Lancashire step up and take the opportunity.
“A lot of organisations have picked up the baton. It’s early doors but the opportunities are phenomenal and from an economic view it can drive Lancashire to be up there among the best in the world.
“When you’ve something like NCF it is a magnet. Some of the biggest companies in the world could be attracted to Lancashire.
“Alongside that you’ve got the jobs it will bring, the employment and that massive impact on the economy. The NCF isn’t just looking for digital technology skills, it’s looking for psychologists, gamers.
“There is a lot happening and we are gearing up with some amazing initiatives, especially in schools.”
Dave Walker, managing director of Burnley based digital marketing, design and software development agency +24 Marketing, agrees that there is a lot of work tak-ing place around NCF’s arrival, however he believes more is needed.
He says: “Businesses, educators, authorities, we all need to work together and probably a little bit more than we are doing. We can do more and quicker.
up our game, getting more and more skills into the area.”
Jon Lomas, cyber security partnership development manager at Lancaster University, remains confident in Lancashire’s ability to capitalise on NCF. He says that the county has already shown what it is capable of delivering in its role as an internationally recognised aerospace industry cluster.
And he points to Lancashire’s role as part of the wider North West cyber corridor project, running from Manchester through to Lancaster,
Partners are coming together and
recognising this is going to grow the Lancashire economy for everyone
“We have to grab this opportunity and what excites me is that eventually this will filter down into small business as well.”
However, Dave warns that the county’s infrastructure challenges, including transport links between its towns and cities, put it at a disadvantage compared to the nearby big cities of the north.
Skills are another area of concern for him, ensuring the local workforce is able to capitalise from the job opportunities being created, with initially much of NCF’s staff coming from the south west, home of GCHQ, the UK’s intelligence, security and cyber agency.
He says: “I’ve been banging this drum for years, the digital skills gap worries me. We’ve got to
which is giving the region the potential to compete in the sector globally.
The arrival of NCF, coupled with other investments in the North West, will add to the region’s capabilities and the size of the sector, meaning: “There is no reason why we can’t be the premier cyber region in the UK and maybe beyond.”
Jonny Burr of CGI IT says it is looking to grow its operations in the North West, attracted by the growing cyber sector here. It is among the largest IT and business consulting services firms in the world, working in health, policing, space defence and intelligence.
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CYBER AND DIGITAL
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