There has long been an accusation that an agglomeration effect exists in countries around the world, with talent and resources hoovered up by major cities, leaving smaller towns bereft of the kind of things they need to thrive.

A recent study from Accenture set out to explore whether that is the case in the UK.  They analyzed the job market, and particular the 420,000 or so UK-based professionals with skills in emerging fields such as data, AI and blockchain, to explore where the people with those skills were located.

Tech Talent Tracking

The company’s UK Tech Talent Tracker trawled through LinkedIn to locate the key tech talent in the UK, and found that around 37% of professionals in these fields are based in London, with the 155,000 professionals based there higher than the combined total of the other cities making the top ten, which included Edinburgh, Manchester, Bristol and Liverpool.

“London is currently the default choice for many, but we want to prove that the capital is far from the only option. Availability of talent is one of the biggest factors in establishing a successful technology business,” Accenture say. “We’ve found that there’s so much of this talent in other cities, but it’s being overlooked. Once businesses realise the potential and bring more opportunities to people in other cities, we can create a tech economy that benefits the entire country, rather than just London.”

For instance, both Bristol and Manchester were found to have a strong supply of talent in areas such as AI and data analytics, with areas such as Cambridge also very strong.  Brighton is establishing itself as a creative hub, with a particular strength in extended reality technologies, while cities such as Edinburgh and Newcastle have strong talent pools in data science.

“We see these emerging technologies as being crucial for the future of British business,” Accenture continue. “As we head towards a post-digital era, having the ability to combine these technologies will create a step-change in what can be achieved, enabling businesses to create people-first experiences that truly differentiate them. Companies will need to tap into a range of different talents and having professionals with varied skills at their fingertips makes these cities stand out.”