- Grant will boost regional growth and employment in
cyber security sector
- Move will help UK cyber firms develop skills,
collaborate and expand businesses
Cyber businesses across the country are set to benefit from
a £700k fund to help develop people’s skills, collaborate
and break down local barriers to growth.
The funding - from the Department for Digital, Culture,
Media and Sport (DCMS) - has been awarded to UK Cyber
Cluster Collaboration (UKC3), a network of 20 regional
clusters of cyber businesses, employers and local
organisations which work together to boost the UK’s cyber
security sector.
The organisation was established to help cyber security
businesses build partnerships and programmes which break
down barriers to growth, such as skills gaps and a lack of
business support, and provide a focal point for industry
stakeholders to engage with.
The fund will be used by the UKC3 to provide opportunities
for networking, knowledge sharing and funding to help
develop skills and spur innovation.
Minister for Digital Infrastructure announced
the new funding today at industry event InfoSec. He said:
Our cyber security sector is already worth £8.9 billion
and we’re working tirelessly to take its magnificent
growth to the next level.
Our new UK Cyber Cluster Collaboration will help tackle
the barriers to growth, boost people’s digital skills and
give firms a new route to develop their business acumen.
UKC3 Chair Richard Yorke said:
The UK’s thriving cyber sector is recognised as world
leading and through greater collaboration, innovation and
skills development we have a real opportunity to deliver
growth that benefits businesses and individual citizens
across the UK.
This is an exciting and pivotal time for the cyber
industry and we encourage organisations to engage with us
to drive growth in the sector.
The funding is part of the government’s wider work to
develop the UK’s strength in cyber as we build back better
after the pandemic and improve prosperity and security.
Work is well underway to develop a new national cyber
strategy, which the government intends to publish later
this year.
ENDS
Examples of cyber clusters across the UK include:
The CNI in Wales cyber
security cluster helps organisations share intelligence
and tackle cyber security challenges in Critical National
Infrastructure (CNI).
The Women in Cyber Wales
Cluster provides networking opportunities and support
to women working or hoping to work in the Welsh cyber
sector.
The ScotlandIS Cyber
Cluster represents and supports Scottish cyber security
businesses and organisations, helping them to grow and
collaborate.
The North West Cyber
Security Cluster brings together cyber security and IT
industry professionals and organisations across Cumbria,
Lancashire, Manchester and Merseyside.
The South West Cyber
Security Cluster is a ‘not for profit’ collaboration
raising cyber security awareness for business protection,
innovation and skills in the south west of England.
NI Cyber brings
together cyber security companies based in Northern Ireland
which are developing world-leading cyber security
technologies.
Full list of cyber
clusters.
