UKTN‘s latest dive into regional tech ecosystems is all about the Solent Region of the UK’s south coast, featuring the tech hubs of Southampton, Portsmouth, Bournemouth, the Isle of Wight and more.

It is fitting that much of the research conducted by UKTN that has formed the basis of our report into the Solent region has required access to the internet. Much of the early work and subsequent advances in optical fibre communications, which form the arteries of the internet as we know it today, took place in this region. 

Fast-forward to today and the Solent region continues to be at the forefront of the development of the most advanced technologies. When the United Nations formed a global advisory board for Artificial Intelligence, it was the University of Southampton’s Regius Professor of Computer Science, Dame Wendy Hall, who was named among its 32 board members, out of a shortlist of more than 1800 candidates.

The Solent region is leading the way across a suite of areas within tech, including in computer science, biotech and – a nod to its immense maritime heritage – in marine technology. 

There have also been signs of greater collaboration between the region’s hubs, notably an application to create a joint mayoral authority for Hampshire, Southampton, Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight. 

UKTN‘s Solent Region tech guide looks at the strengths, challenges and opportunities for the local tech ecosystem, highlights some of its successes and discusses what lies ahead.

The report is available for free on UKTN.

You can read the full interactive report in your web browser here.

The Solent region tech guide is sponsored by Womble Bond Dickinson.

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