Digital Catapult opens a new South West hub at Bristol and Bath Science Park, strengthening regional innovation, collaboration, and deep tech commercialisation across England and Wales.
DIGITAL CATAPULT STRENGTHENS SOUTH WEST INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM
Digital Catapult, the UK’s deep tech innovation organisation, has announced the opening of a new regional office serving South Gloucestershire, Bristol, and Bath, reinforcing its long-term commitment to collaborative innovation across the South West of England and Wales.
Situated within the Bristol and Bath Science Park, the new permanent office will strengthen Digital Catapult’s regional footprint and support its place-based approach to innovation.
Through the new hub, the organisation will deliver a range of in-demand innovation services for local start-ups and businesses, including technological consultancy, accelerator programmes, and access to Digital Catapult’s national network of specialist labs, helping deep tech companies scale and commercialise.
The expansion builds on Digital Catapult’s established partnerships with academic institutions, government bodies, industry leaders, and start-ups across the region.
Notable initiatives include the delivery of the £30 million MyWorld programme in collaboration with the University of Bristol, University of Bath, and University of the West of England (UWE), which has helped South West-based small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) raise nearly £28.3 million in investment.
The organisation is also working closely with the former to accelerate the commercial deployment of future 6G technologies through the REASON and JOINER projects.
A WELCOME INVESTMENT
The investment has been welcomed at a regional level. Helen Godwin, Mayor of the West of England, has highlighted how the establishment of a permanent Digital Catapult base closely aligns both with the region’s growth strategy and the UK government’s industrial strategy.
She has emphasised how the new facility bolsters the West of England’s strengths in the aerospace, energy, and creative industries whilst supporting the adoption and deployment of advanced digital technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI).
Godwin also pointed to the role the new hub will play in supporting the creation of high-value jobs and strengthening collaboration between industry and academia, helping to ensure innovation delivers tangible socioeconomic benefits across communities.
As such, the new centre will act as a convening hub for regional innovation, strengthening local capabilities whilst extending Digital Catapult’s impact across its national network of centres.
By leveraging the South West and Wales’ strong talent base and technical expertise, the investment is expected to create new jobs and partnerships, supporting ambitions set out in the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy, alongside local and regional growth plans.
SIGNIFICANT OPPORTUNITY
Susan Bowen, CEO of Digital Catapult, described the South West of England and Wales as areas of significant opportunity for deep tech innovation and commercial growth.
She underlined the importance of early adoption and practical application of advanced technologies in supporting key regional industries, including the West of England’s aerospace cluster, the CreaTech corridor stretching from South Wales through to the South West of England, the development of AI growth zones in Wales, and efforts to strengthen regional energy security.
Bowen also notes Digital Catapult’s active role in the region over the course of almost a decade, with the new office representing a renewed commitment to unlocking this potential by connecting people, places, and technologies, bridging gaps between local government, industry, entrepreneurs, and academia to help ensure the UK is future-ready.
The move has also been welcomed by local authorities such as Councillor Ian Boulton, Cabinet Lead for Economic Development, and Adam Monk, Cabinet Lead for Corporate Resources at South Gloucestershire Council.
Both have remarked on how Digital Catapult’s investment and creation of high-value jobs further strengthen the Bristol and Bath Science Park’s position as a centre for innovation and collaboration.
They also emphasised how the new office aligns closely with the council’s ambition to support science and technology businesses, drive economic growth, and develop future skills.
At the same time, it also helps to attract new investment, foster stronger links between industry and academia, and create high-value opportunities for people and businesses across the region.
CONTINUED COLLABORATION
Collaboration remains central to Digital Catapult’s mission, and the organisation highlights its recently announced strategic partnership with the Centre for Modelling and Simulation (CFMS) as an example of how local collaboration can generate nationwide impact.
The partnership combines CFMS’s modelling and simulation capabilities with Digital Catapult’s deep tech expertise, enhancing the work of the UK Digital Twin Centre in Belfast, which will draw on these combined strengths.
Through continued partnerships with businesses and organisations across the region, Digital Catapult aims to accelerate the practical application of deep tech in industry and strengthen the UK’s position in an increasingly competitive global economy.
