Milton Keynes in the UK ‘Top 10 for tech’

Milton Keynes has been ranked 8th in the country – equal with Oxford – in the latest UK Tech Innovation index.

The index, which is published by the Open Data Institute and the Digital Catapult, measures current activity and potential for innovation in seven technology sectors in 36 UK cities.

It looks at tech events, scientific publications, and data on local skills, business start-up rates, and research and development spending, to show where British innovation is flourishing – which will help business and government make decisions around investment and growth.

As one of the smaller places on the list, and without a major university – yet – MK’s performance is even more impressive.

MK ranks even higher in the ‘data’ category, 6th in the country and beating Oxford, Cambridge and other cities well known for their tech excellence.

MKC Leader Pete Marland said: “Yet again Milton Keynes’ potential is recognised at a national level by independent experts.

“MK’s smart city credentials are enviable, from driverless pods to the Internet of Things, which uses smart data to make everyday tasks easier.

“We’re a lead partner in the MK:Smart consortium and I recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with global tech giants Huawei to continue to develop modern, innovative ways of making people’s lives better.  It’s just one way we’ll keep MK at the forefront of smart thinking and job creation.”