BOURNEMOUTH and Poole have a “genuine opportunity” to become the UK’s biggest digital hub outside London after coming top of the league table for high-growth tech businesses.

The view comes after the Tech Nation report showed that 26 per cent of firms in the area’s digital “cluster” were high growth.

The sector employs 15,763 people and is worth £352million a year in gross value added, the report said.

Tech Nation 2017 is the successor to a 2015 report which found Bournemouth and Poole had the UK’s fastest-growing digital economy.

Duncan Cook, CEO of Westbourne-based app developer 3 Sided Cube, said: “Ever since the first Tech Nation report was published, there has been a huge focus by all the digital businesses, the council, universities and incubators to push even further and that’s reflected in Bournemouth and Poole now being recognised as the number one for high growth business in the country.

“This is also a genuine opportunity for the area to become the biggest digital hub outside of London but this will take constant focus from everyone in the area to drive this forward.”

The report highlighted the co-working spaces opening to support the sector, including THIS Workspace, based in the Daily Echo building in Bournemouth.

It also mentioned the trials of a 5G mapping and planning tool, being carried out by Ordnance Survey and Bournemouth council in the town.

Matt Desmier, director of Think Create Do, lobbied for Bournemouth and Poole to be included in the first Tech Nation report.

He said: “It’s great that it’s being recognised as a driving force in Bournemouth and in the wider region’s economy.

“If you look at some of the recent successes that we’ve had – 3 Sided Cube, Adido – these were all start-up tech companies at one point and they’ve grown. Mow we’ve got the next generation of these companies coming through and it’s because those others lead by example that it’s given that legitimacy to these other start-ups.”

Joshua Winterton, partner in THIS Workspace, said: “Our aim for THIS Workspace in Bournemouth is to encourage the vast amount of incredibly talented individuals, companies and start-ups to collaborate together under one roof. With the additional value from our strategic partnerships, we believe this is what will help our member businesses achieve the success they’re working towards.”

Daniel Ward-Murphy, strategy director at Poole’s Salad Creative, which is singled out in the report, said: “It is fantastic to see that Salad’s growth is being recognised by the wider community as well as our clients and colleagues.”

He said the £39,500 average salary quoted in the report seemed high, but that there was a “lack of middleweight to heavyweight digital talent – and these people come at a premium”.

“All in all though, the industry and town are in great shape, buoyed by a collective, can-do entrepreneurial spirit, albeit we are watching the grey Brexit clouds and hoping the impact on our financial and creative economy is just a light shower and not a lengthy downpour,” he added.

Sofronis Efstathiou, director of Bournemouth’s BFX Festival at the National Centre for Computer Animation at Bournemouth University, said: “It’s no surprise to hear companies basing themselves where the talent exists, allowing for cross sector collaboration across education, research and production, whist encouraging an eco-system to form that emboldens strong partnerships and activity.”

James Gray, founder and CEO of Bournemouth-based Kortext, the leading platform for e-textbooks, said: “The local area and the Tech Nation Report confirms what we already knew. The Bournemouth and Poole digital market continues to excite, delivering increasing numbers of high quality and innovative companies for collaborations.”

Chris Bainbridge, founder and creative director of creative agency Make Studio, said: “The town is growing rapidly, the skyline is changing and there’s been big investment in innovation and infrastructure with the team on the council, Bournemouth Universities and other partners helping to champion the creative and digital industry. At grass-roots, creative hubs and alliances are forming and the area is living up to the Silicon Beach innovation and technology mantra that has exploded in recent years.”

Tom Quay, MD at mobile app developer Base, said: “Being based in Bournemouth is just great. The quality of life that we can offer as an employer in terms of work – life balance means that we are able to attract some of the best talent out there and subsequently produce some of the best quality work in the country.”

Bournemouth council leader Cllr John Beesley said: “Bournemouth is becoming a magnet for creative talent. Home to a population with an average age of 34, the town is building a new reputation as a destination where people can study at internationally acclaimed universities, technology start-ups can experiment, entrepreneurs can launch ideas and experienced professionals can develop their careers.”