IT and Media in North England
Growth of the creative community in North England is nearly twice that of the rest of the UK. That's because North England has become the region of choice for expansion of IT and media companies, including Google, Sony, Yahoo and Activision. North England aims to become the No. 1 New Media destination in Europe and Top 3 in the world by 2020.
Our vibrant creative community is sparked by a student community of 330,000 (one of the largest in the UK) and a workforce larger than South East England and Scotland combined. Imaginative talent is attracted to our quality of life [link People and Skills: Quality of Life] and by the business support designed to make creativity profitable.
- Labor and property costs for a 40-person software development company in North England are almost $1 million less per year than one located in South East England (as confirmed by FT Business).
- In general, labor costs in North England are 15 to 30 percent less than those in London. Salary for a web designer is 38 percent less here than in London and for a senior analyst programmer is 23 percent less.
- IT and creative talent is abundant in North England, many coming from the 15 regional universities, including The University of Teesside, which produces twice the computing graduates than the UK average. The University of Sunderland has the largest IT teaching lab in the UK. The University of Manchester was awarded the UK's highest government research ratings.
- Connect and sell your work quickly to a significant customer base that is easily accessible. London is within two hours and there are direct flights daily to the US.
Quick, Affordable Expansion
The North of England Inward Investment Agency provides the resources and connections for your IT or media company to hit the ground running. Contact us for a free, confidential Business Expansion Assessment.
IT and Media Industry News
Nxtbook Media's Euro HQ in Salford - 07/09/08
DIGITAL publishing business Nxtbook Media has opened its European headquarters in Salford Quays.
The US-based company converts traditional material such as magazines and catalogues into easy-to-read ...Read More
Driven by online expansion, UK business media worth £23 billion - 04/11/08
The UK business media market has experienced dramatic growth in the past three years, with revenue up 35 per cent, according to the most wide reaching market size research ever undertaken.
It is now ...Read More
Carphone investment to create hundreds of jobs - 02/08/07
A multi-million pound investment in Greater Manchester by the Carphone Warehouse is set to provide 300 new jobs within the region as the mobile communications company increases its capacity.
The comp...Read More
International business park to create over 1,000 jobs on Merseyside - 01/31/07
The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) is investing £4.6 million on infrastructure to support the development of an international business park at the former MTL bus depot and Marconi ...Read More
'Creative zone' proposal revealed - 01/18/07
A £17m business "zone" to be built on Teesside will generate over 250 jobs, according to regeneration bosses.
The BoHo Zone, on several sites between Middlesbrough town centre and Middlehaven, ...Read More
There’s no doubt in my mind that Manchester is the most important media center outside of London, and increasingly that means digital. From our point of view, it was the perfect position in which to open an office. Manchester has a fantastic infrastructure and transport system. 
