Member Article

Brighton Digital Exchange opens as part of £4.9m City Deal

A new Digital Exchange has opened in Brighton, aimed at strengthening the city’s high-tech economy.

Thought to be the first facility of its kind in the UK, it will provide a means of exchanging information among the city’s burgeoning digital sector.

The city council has allocated space for the electronic hardware involved in under-used areas of its New England House complex near Brighton Station.

The scheme, which is part of the City Deal agreement between the Greater Brighton region and the government, was backed with funds from the government’s Super Connected Cities Programme (SCCP).

The council has allocated £580k in government grants to help a number of private firms set up the Exchange, abbreviated to BDX. The authority spent a further £80k re-cabling New England House to connect firms within. The total scheme has cost £740k.

The BDX is a key part of the City Deal agreement between the Greater Brighton region and the government. This includes a £4.9m investment to expand and upgrade New England House, creating nearly 900 new jobs.

Digital Economy Minister Ed Vaizey said: “The Brighton Digital Exchange is one of the flagship projects of the Super Connected Cities Programme, which saw government invest more than £1.2m into Brighton & Hove. The Exchange will make a huge impact on the creative, design and IT sectors in one of Britain’s most creative cities, allowing companies to gain access to new products and services.”

Council leader Warren Morgan said: “The digital and creative sector is big and getting bigger as a provider of jobs in this city. It is the new wave for our economy as significant as previous waves from history like the railways, tourism and conferences. This project sees the council working with government and companies to make sure we’re equipped for the future and I am keen to see the benefits of this new economy spread throughout the city.”

BDX chair and Fastnet CEO Joe Kerr said: “The Exchange provides the technology and infrastructure to enable internet service providers like mine to work together to offer better and more tailored internet services to local businesses, especially those with specific digital needs. Through this venture Brighton is leading the way with an innovative approach to connectivity, further to support growth of this city’s digital economy.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ellen Forster .