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Scotland continues to retain and develop a strong economy and business base, a highly productive and skilled workforce, a proven track record of innovation and a “much-vaunted quality of life”. Three of Scotland’s largest cities have been recognised as amongst the UK’s top innovation hubs. Recent research has also named Edinburgh as Britain’s most innovative city outside of London, with Glasgow ranked second.

The Cyber Cluster Team at ScotlandIS continues to contribute and drive significant collaborative activity across many sectors in Scotland principally in the cyber domain. Cross sector collaboration and engagement continues to grow across all other clusters.

The team continues to work with the UK and Scottish Government statutory authorities, trade bodies and industry associations to provide holistic support to our start-up community in business development, growth initiatives, governance, commercial growth opportunities and new customer introductions.

Through UKC3 support, which funded a project to focus on cyber start-ups in Scotland we have been able to increase engagement with these companies including identifying new ones not previously engaged with the cluster. Through this work we have seen an increase in 15% of cyber start-ups we are now engaged with and able to support through the work of the cluster.

The number of Cyber Startups continues to grow with increased executive and C-suite recognition of the increased cyber threat to all businesses such as the cyber threat associated with Ukrainian geopolitical tension, the recent Log4Shell vulnerability, Conti ransomware, Kaseya, SolarWinds, and Microsoft Exchange attacks.

The start-up programme continues to deliver in cross sector networking, making introductions and connections to accelerate growth amongst many Scottish Cyber Startups, with a focus on developing and implementing a growth strategy including new and existing markets, new product development and building teams to deliver.

The discovery, recruitment and reciprocal enthusiastic engagement of new start-ups also reflect cyber industry trends of improved cyber accreditation, exercising, IR support training and preparation in both innovative service and product based technologies.

Such examples of recent integrations include

1. the introduction of a start-up Cyber Training company to a similar start-up within the Scottish gaming industry with an aspiration to further develop their Cyber Training gamification platforms as a potential delivery product for their existing and developing client base.
2. the introduction of a start-up cyber security Penetration testing company to a Scottish based large scale hardware, endpoint and solutions provider to enhance reciprocal business opportunities and improved cyber security with the supply chain.
3. the introduction of a start-up cyber software solutions company to an established global app based office provider and a separate global IT consultancy service with a view to develop reciprocal business growth opportunities and enhanced security.
4. the introduction of numerous Scottish start-ups to Entrepreneurial Scotland USA and an additional global IT and business consultancy provider, seeking business opportunities and growth to a wider international audience.
5. practical advice and assistance to a Scottish based cyber training company in the establishment of their interactive training environment in Glasgow
6. the introduction of numerous Scottish cyber start-ups developing trailblazing cybercrime preventative technologies to Police Scotland and UK law enforcement agencies.

The cyber cluster team also ran a Cyber start-up roundtable where we discussed the challenges facing the cyber start-ups. In partnership with the Cyber Runway we supporting the delivery of a 2-day event aimed at Scottish start-ups and SMEs. We are also continuing to find ways to showcase and raise the profile of our start-ups via case studies, promoting the Cyber Runway programme and working closely with Wavestone on their cyber start-up radar as some examples.

• Cyber clusters all over the UK join efforts to support cyber skills growth for a safer digital world in the nation.
• DCMS funding supports cyber clusters to identify relevant opportunities for driving cyber skills development.
• Cyber cluster collaboration under UKC3 demonstrates the “Whole Society Partnership” approach presented in the National Cyber Strategy 2022.

As part of the UK Cyber Cluster Collaboration’s remit to support the growth of the UK’s cyber sector, the UKC3 recognised cyber clusters are actively engaging in finding opportunities to drive cyber skills growth across the UK. Currently, there are 11 UKC3 recognised cyber clusters from England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland that are pushing their efforts towards this goal.

Benefiting from the fourth round of funding from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), these clusters are mapping programmes and projects that enable cyber skills growth in their regions, involving their tech and cyber members and non-members into the cyber skills development, with the purpose of making the digital world of organisations and individuals safer.

Cyber Wales is participating in the Cyber Runway, an accelerator programme, established to directly address the most critical cyber security challenges that affects the UK, such as ransomware or fraud, with innovative technology and diverse cyber skills. Supported by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), CyberFirst Schools is another project Cyber Wales is involved in. Cyber Wales is identifying the regional and national skills development actors, mapping activities for supporting the cyber skills development. 

Midlands Cyber is planning to run an academic matching programme that would create the link between the knowledge providers and students needing to develop their cyber skills for their future careers. Another programme that Midlands Cyber is planning is running several workshops that would train professionals in banking, fintech, manufacturing and other actors, on how to improve their digital security.

South West is also focused on developing cyber careers, collaborating with South Devon College in the Cyber Futures programme to find skills to support the students who want to explore cyber security as a future career.

Yorkshire Cyber Security Cluster is supporting 23 students to develop their cyber skills and admin experience across the Enterprise Quality Programme (EQP).

UKC3 facilitates knowledge exchange and sharing of best practice through its recognised clusters that access the DCMS funding for developing cyber skills growth, innovation, and ecosystem development in the UK. The collaboration of cyber clusters with academia, government, and other non-cluster actors shows the “Whole of  Society”partnership approach, which was highlighted as a major theme in the National Cyber Security Strategy 2022. For more information about UKC3 visit our website, LinkedIn or Twitter profiles.

• Four UKC3 recognised clusters collaborate with Plexal to deliver the DCMS-funded programme, Cyber Runway.
• Cyber Runway aims to support cyber security development in the UK, with an important focus on female-led enterprises and Black, Asian, or minority ethnic background founders.
• The clusters’ support to Cyber Runway backs-up UKC3’s objective to grow the cyber security sector in the UK through innovation and cyber skills development.

Four UKC3 recognised cyber clusters join Plexal in the Cyber Runway programme to support the growth of the UK’s cyber sector. Cyber Wales, NI Cyber (Northern Ireland), ScotlandIS Cyber and Yorkshire Cyber Security Cluster will be working to drive innovation growth in the cyber security sector in their regions.

This is an exciting development for UKC3, which will enable one of the key objectives of this entity, namely driving innovation growth for regional and ultimately national development of the cyber security sector.

Cyber Runway is an accelerator programme, established to directly address the most critical cyber security challenges that affects the UK, such as ransomware or fraud, with innovative technology and diverse cyber skills. An important dimension of the programme is the focus on diversity. The goal of the programme is for 30% of the companies supported to be female-led cyber businesses or 15% of founders to have Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds.

The programme is backed by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and aims to support 160 cyber security companies and entrepreneurs, with 50% of these located outside of London. The regional development of the cyber security sector is another important dimension of Cyber Runway, which is why regional clusters’ involvement in this programme is auspicious.

The expertise of the cyber clusters in coordinating the innovation growth in their respective regions is also visible in other programmes, such as the CyberFirst Schools, supported by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), where the clusters are helping to identify the regional and national skills development actors, mapping activities for supporting the cyber innovation growth.

About the the four UKC3 recognised clusters’ contribution to Cyber Runway, Melanie Oldham OBE (Vice Chair of UKC3) said:

“Cyber innovation growth is essential for growing the cyber security sector across the UK, and our role is to identify the growth actors that can support the talent development and innovation in this industry. The UKC3 recognised clusters that are supporting this programme are able to coordinate with other clusters, as well with non-cluster partners that can provide hands-on training to cyber enterprises that will benefit of this programme, preparing them to tackle and better respond to pressing challenges like ransomware, data, or intellectual property theft, and more.”

• The UK Government has launched its new UK Cyber Strategy.
• The partnership approach that UKC3 supports through regional cyber cluster collaboration was recognised as a major theme, involving a “Whole of Society” approach.
• Cyber clusters play an important role in driving cyber skills growth, essential for enabling innovation in the cyber sector.

Wednesday, 15 December, UK Cyber Cluster Collaboration (UKC3) joined the UK Government at the launch of the National Cyber Strategy 2022, delivering a panel discussion on “The role of Clusters in building a thriving UK Cyber Ecosystem” with insights provided by cluster leads from Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and England 

As part of the goal of strengthening the UK’s cyber ecosystem, the strategy acknowledged UKC3’s role in driving integrated regional cyber networks across the UK and enabling stronger partnerships between government, businesses and academia, for the purpose of supporting sectoral growth. The strategy also stipulated that the government will work with the regional cyber clusters and the newly established UKC3, as well as with the growing number of regional cyber innovation centres and Cyber Resilience Centres to strengthen links between local businesses, academic centers of excellence and law enforcement.

An important direction of the National Cyber Strategy 2022 was adopting a “Whole of Society” approach to addressing cyber challenges, indicating that cyberspace is now integral to the future security and prosperity of the nation.

Aligned with the UKC3’s objectives for developing the cyber security ecosystem through cyber skills growth and innovation, the strategy recognises the breadth and depth of cyber talent and research capability within the regions of the UK and the important role that cyber clusters will play in tapping into this to drive innovation.

Referring to the role of the UKC3 in developing the National Cyber Strategy 2022, Richard Yorke, Chair of UKC3 said:

“The importance of collaboration and partnership working is a theme that runs throughout the strategy, underpinning the “Whole of Society” approach. If we get this right, it will bring greater diversity of talent and the new ideas and perspectives that are crucial to innovation and growth in the sector.”

Streamed virtually from Birmingham, the launch of the National Cyber Strategy 2022 builds on its successor, the 2016-21 National Cyber Security Strategy, which focused on tackling and managing cyber threats, to provide a more holistic approach with greater importance given to developing cyber skills, driving innovation and growing the UK’s commercial cyber sector. All of this echoes the UKC3’s focus and that of the clusters themselves.

The strategy highlights opportunities to build a thriving cyber sector, through collaboration across the regions and nations of the UK, an approach which sits at the heart of the UKC3 and the cyber cluster network. The role of UKC3 in enabling regional cyber clusters to drive collaboration, innovation and skills growth is acknowledged as an important success factor in strengthening the UK as a responsible, global cyber power.

To find out more about UK Cyber Cluster Collaboration (UKC3), please visit here, or follow UKC3 on LinkedIn or Twitter.

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• Grant will boost regional growth and employment in cyber security sector
• Move will help UK cyber firms develop skills, collaborate and expand businesses

Cyber businesses across the country are set to benefit from a £700k fund to help develop people’s skills, collaborate and break down local barriers to growth.
The funding – from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) – has been awarded to UK Cyber Cluster Collaboration (UKC3), a network of 20 regional clusters of cyber businesses, employers and local organisations which work together to boost the UK’s cyber security sector.

The organisation was established to help cyber security businesses build partnerships and programmes which break down barriers to growth, such as skills gaps and a lack of business support, and provide a focal point for industry stakeholders to engage with.

The fund will be used by the UKC3 to provide opportunities for networking, knowledge sharing and funding to help develop skills and spur innovation.
Minister for Digital Infrastructure Matt Warman announced the new funding today at industry event InfoSec. He said:

Our cyber security sector is already worth £8.9 billion 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.

UKC3 Chair Richard Yorke said:

The UK’s thriving cyber sector is recognised as world leading and through greater collaboration, innovation and skills development we have a real opportunity to deliver growth that benefits businesses and individual citizens across the UK.

This is an exciting and pivotal time for the cyber industry and we encourage organisations to engage with us to drive growth in the sector.

The funding is part of the government’s wider work to develop the UK’s strength in cyber as we build back better after the pandemic and improve prosperity and security. Work is well underway to develop a new national cyber strategy, which the government intends to publish later this year.

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