The report placed the city among leading locations for total digital-sector turnover at the time of its analysis.
Report archive
Tech Nation 2017
A retrospective guide to a 2017 data-led report on Britain’s digital economy, its specialist clusters and the contribution of cities across the North.
The report in brief
A snapshot of a growing sector.
The 2017 report assembled survey responses and economic data to examine digital technology activity across the United Kingdom. It presented a picture of regional strengths, specialist skills and the conditions supporting digital businesses at that point in time.
Its findings should be read as an historical record rather than a current measure. The sector, the data available and the economic environment have all changed since publication.
Northern perspective
What the report highlighted
Several northern cities appeared prominently in the original analysis, each associated with a different indicator of digital activity.
Its data identified strong digital-turnover growth, pointing to the importance of activity beyond the largest established centres.
The report associated Newcastle with a notable concentration of high-growth digital businesses.
Hull featured in the report’s comparison of digital-technology business concentration.
Both cities were noted in the original salary comparison for digital roles.
The report considered housing affordability alongside the practical realities of building digital careers in different places.
How to use this archive
Context before conclusion.
A report is a starting point
Use historical research to understand the questions being asked at the time, then compare it with current evidence and lived experience.
Places change with their networks
Regional digital economies are shaped by skills, investment, infrastructure, institutions and the relationships that connect them.
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An earlier archive entry documenting findings on the North’s digital-technology industry.
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Explore another report in the archive focused on skills, opportunity and the changing needs of digital work.