There is an inevitability of a concentration on the digital knowledge economy for Northern Ireland. We have a thriving group of developers and designers in Belfast, a huge amount of ambition in the North West and a heap of activity building in the Southern and Western counties of the province.
Last week I went to the Digital Hub along with Momentum, Belfast City Council, InvestNI and representatives from DCAL and OFMDFM.
We heard the spiel about how it brought some regeneration to the area, that they still have a considerable subvention from the government after 10 years (less than €2m a year, but overall investment has been around €30m since inception and may not include transferred assets).
I also spoke to some of the guys in some of the businesses. They said they wish the Hub was one mile closer to the city centre, that the reason they use bikes and public transport is because they don’t want to bring their cars to that area of town and even the big lads feel a little concerned leaving the Hub with a laptop.
It re-iterates my belief that a city centre location for a Belfast Hub is essential. Not least because Davy Sims put together a map of Digital Media companies in Northern Ireland back in February of 2010 and discovered most were within a square mile in the city centre.
View Belfast Media Square Mile in a larger map
I don’t think we want a straight property play like the Hub in Dublin. We’re a small region with a big ambition so we have to think much more strategically about what goes where. We also need to be 100% joined up. I think I have the support of the Digital Circle steering group in my opinions and in my vision for a digital hub-type infrastructure in Northern Ireland. It’s a big plan, an ambitious plan, even an audacious plan and if it delivers, it will bring the concept to the province as a whole rather than just to a small region.
What I think that’s really needed is a simple phrase, a brand that puts that square mile of Belfast in the minds of the PR/media of the world.
Davy has done something similar to what Matt Biddulph of Dopplr did, only Matt gave it name, “Silicon Roundabout”. Once that name was established then the media could easily report on it.
The NW has “Digital Derry” which I think is fine. I just think Belfast needs that something. Just a thought…. 🙂
Oh, I’ve got plenty of branding material and a few domain names hidden away. A lot will depend on the location chosen.
I did that feeling you were on it in some wave, shape or form 🙂
Odds are any Belfast Digital Hub will be in the back end of the Titanic Quarter, and will open six months after Translink cut the Titanic Quarter bus service because it’s not used enough…
You think I’m kidding?