Plans are now afoot for Cheltenham to be turned into the UK’s version of ‘Silicon Valley’ in order to grow cyber-security capacity & also to help bridge the UK ‘skills gap’
Included in this Golden Valley development will be a £400 million campus development on a 200-hectare site adjacent to GCHQ. This will be part of the 1st phase of ‘Cyber Central UK’, Cheltenham Borough Council has revealed.
Innovation
Designated as home to the Cyber Innovation Centre, it is planned to funnel in innovation from GCHQ (next door) but also the best of business, academia & events with 1 million square ft. of space.
Chris Ensor, Deputy Director for Skills and Growth at the National Cyber Security Centre, (part of GCHQ), said: “We are pleased to support Cheltenham Borough Council on this new & exciting project, which will provide an excellent place for innovation & sharing ideas.
“Cyber Central will provide a rich environment where we can innovate & share ideas, both with business & academia. We hope it will also support the long-term supply of talent, helping to bridge the cyber skills gap.”
Cheltenham
Cheltenham Council spent £37.5 million to purchase 45 hectares of land as part of the development of the ‘Golden Valley Garden Community’ with over 3,000 homes, also with an additional £180 million funding to be made available.
Jake Moore Cyber Security Specialist at ESET: “The skills gap is intrinsically linked to the supported funding from a basic level.
Financially backing projects and education from the ground up is the only way we will watch the skills gap reduce, which is still desperately required. Graduate schemes, apprenticeships and employing more new starters all help in the process too.
Campus
“Cheltenham is a natural choice for a cyber-security campus and I’m sure this will attract a lot of attention from the UK & around the world. Furthermore, many of the students will then hopefully stay in the UK & put their new skills to good use within the country.”
In June 2019, the UK govt. publicised that the Golden Valley Development would be a part of its ‘Garden Communities’ programme.
Reputation
Cheltenham has a worldwide reputation already for being a leader in the sector, with the biggest concentration outside London, of cyber businesses.
Cheltenham Borough Councillor Andrew McKinlay, the Cabinet Member for Development & Safety, explained further “The Golden Valley Development is a prime example of how Cheltenham Borough Council continues to demonstrate its bold vision & the kind of strong local leadership that will help to drive economic recovery, post virus.
Investment
“Our investment has been the catalyst for this development, which is recognised as one of the most exciting & innovative projects anywhere in the country.
“As we look to the future, cyber-security & sustainable living will become ever more important – & the Golden Valley Development will lead the way on this.”
In the UK, the cyber-security sector is currently valued at £8.3 billion, having doubled in 2 years & growth is expected to continue similarly.
Skills Shortage
Francis Gaffney, Director of Threat Intelligence at Mimecast outlined: “The global cyber-security skills shortage is at an all-time high, with an estimated global cyber-security talent shortage of just over 4 million people.
Organisations face a daunting task in the fight against cyber threat actors & what is become apparent is that organisations are still struggling to effectively recruit & retain qualified security professionals due to the shortage of individuals with appropriate skills, making the fight much harder.
Cyber Central
“So, this investment into the Cyber Central UK will come as welcomed news and will do much to increase the UK’s cyber-security capacity & capability & make it a respected entity in the global cyber-security marketplace. Cheltenham and the South West will also offer a huge pool for resource and talent acquisition.
With so many cyber specialists settled in the immediate area, any organisation will be able to recruit experts from across the various cyber disciplines to establish a Centre of Excellence.
“It’s important however that both the government & industry take responsibility for filling the gap in order to create a prosperous & sustainable economy.
We should be focusing on encouraging the next generation, but we do also have a large workforce with transferable skills that should be encouraged to further their development.
Initiatives
“Government initiatives, such as the NCSC, can help by incentivising individuals to retrain & publicising the need for such skills.
Likewise, many people would love to receive career guidance and direction on how to get into cyber-security, so mentoring should be at the forefront of future plans for security leaders as we have the experience and skills that can be hugely beneficial to the up & coming generation.
“In the short term, looking to both what is on our doorstep and international shores may be the quickest way to get the skills in, but organisations need to start thinking more strategically in order to safeguard the future & build for it.
“Fostering the right culture & investment in employees early on will be a strong competitive differentiator for those vendors seeking to stand out in a noisy market segment.”
Golden Valley
This will hopefully mean that timing of the Golden Valley Development will be key to economic recovery locally, regionally & nationally.
Tim Atkins, Managing Director for Place & Growth at Cheltenham Borough Council, observed “At a time of unprecedented change, the Golden Valley Development is an opportunity to put Cheltenham on the global stage & at the front of one of the most dynamic & exciting sectors.
“That’s precisely why Cheltenham Borough Council has stepped up to play a leading role in the development, working alongside multiple stakeholders across the public & private sector to drive sustainable economic recovery & growth.”
World Leader
Sarb Sembhi, CTO & CISO of Virtually Informed & Thought Leadership Lead for the UK Cyber Security Council Formation Project (due for launch 2021) referred to Cyber Central UK an “excellent example of why the UK is a world leader for cyber-security start-ups.”
Global Status
He went on to say “Such initiatives not only lead the way for the UK to maintain its global status as one of the safest to live and work online, but it also resonates with the aims of the UK Cyber Security Council Formation Project.
It is working towards making the UK cyber security profession the ‘Gold Standard’ for excellence & recognised as having the most skilled & highly sought-after professionals in the world.”
Partner
Avison Young has been put in place to lead the search for a partner on this wide-ranging & exciting plan, which is supported by the Department of International Trade as a project deemed of international significance.
Developers who are interested have been asked to complete & return a selection questionnaire from Avison Young no later than July 10, 2020.
The partner appointment is expected in Spring 2021.
