Cornish Software Cluster set to Create Collaborative Network
Software Cornwall will be celebrating their launch at the Cornwall Business Fair on Wednesday 13th May at the Eden Project, where they’ll be showcasing their recent activities and initiatives in the Core Building, and presenting on the Lightning Stage at 10:30am.
A cluster of software development companies based in Cornwall have formalised and are now developing the business group Software Cornwall. Registered as a not-for-profit organisation, the network aims to promote and support the development of the digital sector in Cornwall.
A report by Adroit Economics for Invest in Cornwall and Superfast Cornwall reported the digital sector in Cornwall has 1,035 businesses and employs 5,100 people. The sector has seen rapid growth with employment increasing by 26%, and turnover by 24% between 2009 and 2014. Within Software Cornwall, a high growth software development cluster within the digital sector, hundreds of high skilled jobs and millions in revenue from new business development have been recorded.
Over the past four years members have worked collaboratively within the sector and through business support programmes on projects such as the globally recognised Agile on the Beach conference, the dBs Code careers development project and other ERDF supported projects including Grow Cornwall, Superfast Cornwall, Unlocking Potential and Invest in Cornwall.
Software Cornwall will be dedicated to developing Cornwall as the most productive location to develop software. Initial plans are to support six key themes to sustain and accelerate the growth of the digital sector in the county and address both current needs and create future opportunities. As well as business issues the group will be working with schools, young people and education providers to raise awareness and improve access into software engineering and digital science careers.
- Business Support & Finance
- Sector Collaboration & Networking
- Skills Development & Knowledge Transfer
- Recruitment & Careers Development
- Infrastructure & Environment
- Visibility & Culture
Current activities within the Cornish Software community include the Microsoft Digigirlz event at Eden this September enabling 100 local students to explore digital career options, an advanced JavaScript development workshop crowdsourced by local developers, and over 20 active codeclubs in Cornish primary schools.
Co-founding director of Software Cornwall, Michael Barritt of Sullivan Cuff Software commented, “It’s brilliant to be part of a dedicated cluster of businesses working together. The support of the network has been fantastically valuable to our business and we look forward to helping to ensure that it is sustained.”
Belinda Waldock, Programme Manager at Software Cornwall said “Cornwall’s history and culture is steeped in engineering excellence, as a collective Software Cornwall aim to ensure software engineering is recognised and supported as an innovative and thriving new engineering revolution happening in the county.”
Contact Belinda Waldock, [email protected] 07776094925 www.softwarecornwall.org