It was great to chat with the Minister for Digital Infrastructure, Matt Warman Mp, alongside Leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council, Cllr Abi Brown, about why Stoke-on-Trent, Kidsgrove and Talke should be the centre of a digital levelling up agenda.
I explained Silicon Stoke is about linking with Staffordshire University who are UK leaders in video games courses, to help retain graduates and create more start ups locally.
We can also build upon the success of local companies like Carse & Waterman Productions to encourage businesses to move and grow, but also to improve education in our schools around technology.
Lastly, we can build upon the UK leading gigabit installation that will go directly into the homes and businesses, backed with £9.2 million of government funding, to be installed by VX Fiber and Stoke-on-Trent City Council.
I want Stoke-on-Trent to become a hotbed if gigabit and 5G but also to make us the heart or video games, TV and film industry, outside of London and Pinewood Studios.