City News

Birmingham will be the first UK regional city to have the opportunity to quiz Lord Carter on the details of his Digital Britain report, which will be issued on Tuesday 16th June aiming to set a blueprint for economic growth driven by the UK’s creative industries.

The minister for Communications, Technology and Broadcasting will be speaking at the report’s regional launch and debate, organised by Digital Birmingham at the International Convention Centre in the city on Wednesday 17th June.

The invited audience will include representatives from the region’s thriving digital economy including the media, telecoms, creative, technology and education sectors, who will be able to review the report’s findings and question Lord Carter on its implications.

The city’s success in attracting Lord Carter and his team to Birmingham for his first appearance after the report’s official launch reinforces the leading edge position in the digital debate, according to Councillor Paul Tilsley, deputy leader of Birmingham City Council and chair of the Digital Birmingham partnership, who opens the ICC event.

“Here in Birmingham we have been at the head of the pack when it comes to understanding the opportunities that digital technologies offer,” he said.

“The Digital Birmingham partnership is playing a key role in bridging the digital divide, ensuring all people, business and communities in the city can enjoy the benefits which go with being a competitive city in a global marketplace.

“Birmingham is like many locations in the UK that need to make the transition from being a traditional industrial city to a modern digital city - the Digital Britain report is to be welcomed for outlining some of the vital ways in which this can be achieved.”

Lord Carter said “Digital Britain is about securing the UK’s place as a world-leading economy for innovation, investment and quality.”

“The industrial activist approach set out in the White Paper will equip UK consumers and businesses with the skills, technical capacity and access to communications that are essential to the future growth of the nations and the regions. Partnerships, like Digital Birmingham, will play a key role in delivering this goal,” he added.

The afternoon sees the event dividing into four panel debates on digital inclusion, infrastructure, content and research and innovation. The panels will be chaired by Stephen Dodson, director of DC10 Plus; Chris Price, director of Digital Birmingham; Birmingham Post editor Marc Reeves and Channel 4’s Tom Loosemore.

The event will also see a major announcement from the Technology Strategy Board, which is already working on many of the technology and innovation challenges involved in realising the goal of a successful digital Britain.

Its programmes look not only at infrastructure but also the use of technology by content providers and creative industries, and issues such as network security, identity and trust.

“The Technology Strategy Board will take a leading role in helping to make the ‘Digital Britain’ envisaged in the government’s report a reality,” said chief executive Iain Gray.

“We want to encourage Britain to innovate for a successful digital future and are proud to be visiting Birmingham and finding out more about this city’s vision of the part it wants to play.”

Running alongside the event at the ICC, Lord Carter will take time later in the day to visit the Digital Britain Unconference at Fazeley Studios in Digbeth, where digital creatives and SMEs are getting together to discuss the report’s findings and recommendations.