By Deborah Colville, National Director of Place at Digital Catapult
For too long innovation and investment in the UK have been concentrated in the ‘Golden Triangle,’ comprising London, Oxford, and Cambridge. While the Triangle represents significant value, the country cannot afford to rely solely on this region to fuel its economic growth. By offering access to resources that innovators across the country need to scale, place-based innovation is proving to be a key mobiliser of regional development and success.
At Digital Catapult, we have championed investment in regions across the country, delivering interventions that enable deep tech regional companies to scale successfully. To ensure that more regional startups see a viable path to commercialisation however, place-based innovation must be a long-term priority for business and industry.
READ MORE: The Algorithm That Pays You: Inside DailyPay's AI Strategy for On Demand Pay
The regional innovation divide
Having partnered with academic institutions to deliver innovation and accelerator programmes that drive the practical application of deep tech innovation for over a decade, at Digital Catapult we recognise the value of regional academic institutions in fuelling innovation. Academic institutions are making considerable progress commercialising innovative solutions, and currently, UK higher education and research make a total net contribution of £265 billion to the economy. While many academic institutions are partnering with business and industry to support startups, what remains clear however, is that the disparity between regions in terms of successfully commercialising new solutions remains stark.
Research by Beauhurst for example, has found that Northern regions continue to struggle to keep pace with the South, with the North East, seeing its share of total UK deals decline from 2.6% to 1.9% in the last year. Moreover, while most regions across the UK saw an increase in investment volume, London still accounts for the main share of this growth, serving as a reminder of the need to promote place-based innovation. While regional investment has improved in recent years, the discrepancy in funding and successful scaling of local startups is a risk to broader economic growth in the UK. Failing to nurture or support the deep tech pioneers located across other regions will be of detriment to the UK’s innovation landscape, particularly when these regions offer such strategic value and importance to economic output and growth.
The value of place-based innovation
Considering the success of regional hubs in the UK, the impact of regional achievements exceeds far beyond economic impact, bringing cultural and social benefits to regions too. The West of England for example, has become a hub of creative innovation. The region’s creative economy generated almost £900million in economic value in recent years, and a key determinant of this success has been place-based innovation that has established the West of England as a creative technology hub, through effective partnerships and collaboration. By bridging the gap between local government, local academia, and local industry as part of a place-based strategy, Digital Catapult has played a key role driving the practical application of deep tech innovation in the creative industries and enabled deep tech companies to scale successfully in the region.
The MyWorld Programme, for example, was an initiative delivered by Digital Catapult in collaboration with the University of Bristol that saw leading universities in the region convene with over 30 technology, creative and film companies to cement the West of England’s position as a creative media powerhouse. Innovation and accelerator programmes that we delivered fuelled a pipeline of local companies that have since commercialised their solutions and solved industrial challenges in the UK and globally. The success of this initiative speaks to the value of embracing a place-based approach to innovation, boosting the local economy, supporting sectoral growth, and boosting employment opportunities and regional pride too. A place-based approach must be broad however, accounting for the breadth of talent that exists across the UK and Northern Ireland, where Digital Catapult has achieved remarkable success.
Powering place-based innovation across regions
Since we were founded in 2013, Digital Catapult has delivered interventions that support regional hubs across the UK, providing startups from the South West of England, Northern Ireland to the North East of England with access to innovation and accelerator programmes, testbeds and facilities and investment readiness support. In Northern Ireland, our Smart Nano NI programme in collaboration with Queens University Belfast, accelerates the practical application of photonics in sectors ranging from high value manufacturing to agriculture, further driving regional innovation and growth. The UK Digital Twin Centre in Belfast also works closely with academic institutions as a mechanism to bridge the gap between local academia and industry.
The opening of the UK Digital Twin Centre is one of the most compelling examples of our place-based innovation approach and has seen regional transformation in Belfast by building on local strengths. The Centre is an initiative delivered by Digital Catapult with funding from Belfast Region City Deal and Innovate UK, with co-investment from industry leaders, Spirit Aerosystems, Artemis Technologies and Thales UK. The Centre will position the UK as a leader in digital twin capabilities, and makes digital twins more accessible and meaningful in the country. It has recently launched its first accelerator programme open to businesses across the UK, further driving regional growth in Northern Ireland and sharpening the UK’s competitive edge in the realm of this deep tech innovation. The Centre serves as an example of what can be achieved when the gap between industry, academia and government can be bridged to fuel a place-based innovation approach, and another example of our success in this space is in the North East of England.
READ MORE: The Human Touch: How One Fintech Firm is Keeping Engineers at the Centre of The AI Revolution
Digital Catapult has seen great success in the North East of England, and in Gateshead we have invested in a pioneering facility that forms part of the UK’s first 5G connected network of advanced media production studios, called PROTO. By collaborating with the North East Combined Authority (NECA), as well as local skills colleges, we have bridged the gap between local industry, academia and government to enable local deep tech companies to scale successfully. Having worked in the creative industries for over a decade, our place-based innovation approach is now fuelling a pipeline of creative pioneers in the North East, with each one contributing to other sectors in the region including film and television production and the gaming industry. Our regional success, is testament to how place-based innovation is critical to driving long term economic growth for the UK, capitalising on regional strengths. This strategy can be replicated, but only if business and industry take note of the innovation and talent that exists outside of the Golden Triangle.
Place-based innovation is already reshaping the UK’s innovation landscape, proving that talent and potential extend far beyond the Golden Triangle. By unlocking the strengths of regional hubs, fostering collaboration between academia, industry and government, and ensuring equitable access to resources, the UK can build a more resilient and inclusive economy. Digital Catapult’s experience demonstrates the transformative power of targeted regional investment, with initiatives from Bristol to Belfast delivering measurable growth, jobs, and pride. To maintain global competitiveness and drive sustainable prosperity, the UK must commit to making place-based innovation a long-term national priority.
Sync NI's Autumn 2025 magazine explores how Northern Ireland is moving AI from pilot to production
This issue features exclusive insights from industry leaders on real-world AI implementation, responsible adoption, enterprise infrastructure, and how data-driven innovation is transforming businesses across the region.
Read the Big Data Special Edition free online →
Stay connected with NI's tech community:
Subscribe to our newsletter – Get the latest tech news, job opportunities, and events delivered to your inbox
Visit Sync NI – Your daily source for Northern Ireland technology news
