Scotland’s cyber security businesses are set to get access to £700,000 in UK-wide funding to help develop skills, collaboration and break down local barriers to growth.
The funding – from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport – has been awarded to UK Cyber Cluster Collaboration, a network of 20 clusters of cyber businesses, employers and local organisations including ScotlandIS Cyber.
ScotlandIS Cyber aims to bring together talent and expertise across the industry to grow and protect Scotland’s digital economy.
The new funds will help to provide opportunities for networking and knowledge sharing, as well as supporting skills development and encouraging innovation.
UK Government Minister for Digital Infrastructure Matt Warman announced the new funding today at industry event InfoSec, stating: “Our cyber security sector is already worth £8.9bn and we’re working tirelessly to take its magnificent growth to the next level.
“Our new UK Cyber Cluster Collaboration will help tackle the barriers to growth, boost people’s digital skills and give firms a new route to develop their business acumen.”
UK Government Minister for Scotland Iain Stewart said: “Scotland is home to over 100 cyber security companies, as well as an even larger base of cyber professionals working in the industry and academia.
“This UK Government funding will further strengthen Scotland’s thriving cyber sector and digital economy, helping businesses across the country to collaborate and develop people’s skills while stimulating business growth.”
The funding is part of the UK Government’s wider work to develop a new national cyber strategy, which it intends to publish later this year.
Separately, Ciara Mitchell, cluster manager for Scotland’s Cyber Cluster at ScotlandIS, has been appointed as a board member with the role of ecosystem development lead in the new UK Cyber Cluster Collaboration.
In the new role, she will focus on supporting new and emerging cyber clusters, as well as connecting the clusters across the UK and ensuring the Scottish cluster has opportunities to build key partners with organisations throughout the UK.
ScotlandIS Cyber recently joined Global Ecosystems Partnership in Innovation and Cybersecurity, an ecosystem of cyber clusters and innovation partners aimed at facilitating global collaboration among cybersecurity ecosystems.
Mitchell said:“As the value of clusters to the tech sector is becoming more recognised, I am delighted to be taking a leading UK role in the new UK Cyber Cluster Collaboration and to be participating in the Global Ecosystems Partnership in Innovation and Cybersecurity.
“There is a growing understanding of the expertise here in Scotland on cluster management and the opportunity to build on a thriving cyber sector – Scotland truly is a global leader in this regard, and we look forward to sharing our insights and delivering benefits to our members.”