The DigiTech Centre will provide cutting-edge digital skills for people looking to pursue careers in information and communications technology and received the blessing of Her Royal Highness, Princess Anne, when she visited Adastral Park at the beginning of the project.

Specialist high tech laboratories form the heart of the new centre and it will be used jointly by university staff, students and businesses at Adastral Park and across the region.

Professor Mohammad Dastbaz, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Suffolk said: “In a rapidly developing technological age, we want the DigiTech Centre to be a state of the art ‘solution centre’ for SMEs and other businesses as well as a research and knowledge transfer hub. The Centre will have state of the art specialist laboratories in AI, Data Science, Network Security and Cyber range and will make Suffolk a recognised destination for industry-focused ICT and Digital Creative study programmes and an internationally recognised destination for continuous professional development in digital technologies. This new initiative will play an important role in our region and nationally and we are pleased that students at the University will benefit from the partnership with BT and state-of-the-art facilities.”

Adastral Park is BT’s global Research and Development centre and has played a pivotal role in telecommunications research, such as the commercialisation of single-mode optical fibre, and the recent development of the world’s first quantum networks.

Lisa Perkins, Adastral Park and research realisation director at BT, said:  “This is a major milestone for us at Adastral Park as this new centre will help supply a rich pipeline of new technology talent, which will not only be of huge benefit to BT, but also the entire region.”

“There is also a growing demand for people with skills in new technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data science. The courses and scholarships offered through the University of Suffolk will mean that we will have access to students graduating with these key skills right on our doorstep.

“The DigiTech Centre builds on a legacy of innovation and development at Adastral and ensures the East of England continues to be a major technology hub.”

The DigiTech Centre has received funding from the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP). C-J Green, Chair of New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership said: “This is a stunning facility and one which will help supply the skilled workforce demanded by our fast-growing and high-value digital tech sector. Ipswich is recognised as having a vibrant digital creative hub and students at the DigiTech Centre will have the opportunity to become part of the Adastral Park community. This investment will nurture skills, create jobs and increase growth and productivity in a sector that underpins the Norfolk & Suffolk economy.”

The DigiTech Centre has several facilities which span both the University’s Waterfront campus in Ipswich and BT’s Adastral Park. Adastral Park is home to BT’s Applied Innovation Labs and Innovation Martlesham, a cluster of over 100 high-tech digital and technology companies.

To find out more about the DigiTech Centre please visit www.uos.ac.uk/digitech

BT Group, its spend with contractors and suppliers, and the spending power of its own employees, are responsible for supporting nearly 55,000 jobs in the East of England, according to an independent report published today.  

The Economic Impact of BT Group plc in the UK report, by consultancy firm Hatch, calculates that the communications and technology company generated more than £24 billion in gross value added (GVA) to the UK economy during the last financial year, including £3.1 billion in the East of England alone*. 

The report estimates that around 54,700 full-time jobs in the East of England are supported by BT Group through direct, indirect and induced effects. The firm also spent £1.5 billion with suppliers based in the East of England, including those in the education, construction and telecommunications industries.

BT Group has broadband and mobile networks spanning from the Scilly Isles to Shetland, built and maintained by some of the 82,800 direct employees it has in the UK. In the East of England, the firm directly employs 8,560 people, with a further 394 employed as contractors.

The company is currently modernising its business, including investing in the UK’s largest workplace consolidation and modernisation programme, as it moves from 300 locations to around 30 as part of its Better Workplace programme. BT’s research and innovation hub at Adastral Park, near Ipswich, has also been named as a key site in the company’s future. The Group plans to open a new HQ in London later in 2021, while strategic hub locations are due to open in places such as Birmingham, Bristol and Manchester, providing future-fit workplaces of the future for thousands of colleagues.

Last week BT unveiled plans to recruit 78 apprentices and graduates at Adastral Park for its September 2021 intake, including roles in cyber security and applied research. Meanwhile, Openreach, the digital network business, part of BT Group, announced in December that it would create 295 full time engineering roles across the East of England this year.

Jane Thomas, BT Group regional lead for the East of England, said: “I’m immensely proud of the contribution our colleagues make in supporting the East of England economy. At an important time for our region, our spending on people, networks and suppliers, provides a vital economic boost. The wider impact of that spending helps to sustain communities and small businesses right across the region.  

“In the past year, having good connectivity has become more important than ever as we’ve all had to work, learn, and spend more leisure time online. Despite these challenges, our dedicated and determined colleagues have ensured EE’s 5G network has been extended to cover 125 towns and cities, including Ipswich, Brentwood, and Watford; built out Openreach’s full-fibre networks to reach 4.1 million premises; and EE’s 4G network now reaches 85 per cent of the UK. I know these significant investments will help to underpin the country’s economic recovery post-Covid.” 

Employees from across BT Group, which includes Openreach, EE and Plusnet, have played a key role in keeping the country connected during the pandemic. The company has provided critical support to the NHS, SMEs via its Small Business Support Scheme and school children by providing unlimited broadband data, free mobile data and access to learning resources for customers. 

BT’s Consumer contact centres now handle 100% of customer calls in the UK. Since customer service for BT, EE and Plusnet customers was brought back to the UK and Ireland last year, more than 34 million calls have been handled. 

Richard Tunnicliffe, CBI East of England Director, said: “BT is a major employer in the East of England and has a big impact on the economy and jobs. It’s good news to see this significant presence continuing.

“BT Group’s investment in the region not only means a boost to local economies, but also to skills and high-quality jobs, including recruiting apprentices and graduates. BT’s investment in the fastest networks and latest technology is also vital for the country. Being connected is essential for our businesses, for boosting productivity and for improving quality of life in all our communities.”

Tim Fanning, Director at Hatch, said: “Our analysis underlines how vast BT Group’s contribution is to the UK economy as a whole as well as to individual communities in the nations and regions. Its presence across the country generates significant further activity and investment, supporting many thousands of jobs.” 

Summary of results for year 2019/20: 

• 82,800 employees directly working for BT Group in the UK, and 10,600 contractors (Full Time Equivalent – FTE)  

• 300,000 total FTE jobs supported (including indirect and induced effects)  

• £3.4 billion total income of BT Group employees (including contractors)  

• £10.1 billion spend with suppliers based in the UK  

• £24 billion total GVA impact associated with BT Group activities (including indirect and induced effects) 

• BT Group directly employed 1 in every 230 employees in the private sector across the UK, and 1 in every 12 in the IT and Communications sector  

• BT Group directly created £1 in every £165 of GVA in the UK  

• As a result of the full economic impact of BT Group, the firm supported £1 in every £75 of GVA in the UK economy and 1 in every 90 employees working in the UK economy