Boost for South West cyber businesses

Cyber businesses in the South West will receive specialist information about funding and expert support at an upcoming event.

The Innovate Local South West virtual gathering will be held on 24 and 25 March.

Innovate Local South West which will provide networking opportunities for all local innovators to find potential business partners and academic collaborators, will dedicate its entire first day to the cyber industry.

The event, which is being delivered by KTN on behalf of Swindon-based UKRI and Innovate UK, will host seminars from leading figures from the UK’s cyber industry and will discuss how companies in the sector can access funding to fast-track their innovation.

Layla Burrows, South West Regional Manager at Innovate UK, said: “This area, part of the Western Gateway, is quickly becoming the Silicone Valley of the UK.  Innovate Local South West is designed to help cyber SMEs and entrepreneurs across Gloucestershire, Swindon, Wiltshire, and surrounding areas, accelerate their innovative ideas and bring them to market.

“Organisations including Innovate UK Edge, KTN and Growth Hubs can help you unlock your growth potential and access finance and funding, so we’re encouraging all that want to be a part of the future of cyber in the South West to attend.”

The event will host a session specifically on national support and funding for cyber businesses in the South West. This will be delivered by representatives from funding agencies as well as leading cyber industry figures from organisations such as the National Cyber Security Centre.

There will be talks on cyber as a focus in the South West with local industry networks, such as CyNam and the SW Cyber Resilience Centre.

Attendees will also have the opportunity to hear from some of the region’s most successful cyber businesses, such as Synalogik and Configured Things, who will share their innovation journeys and how these have been transformed thanks to grant funding and support.