HIGH-TECH JOBS BOOM IN BRISTOL AS ‘SILICON GORGE’ TAKES OFF

Hundreds of new high-tech jobs are being created in Bristol as young high-fliers flock to the city seeking a better quality of life.

The South West is starting to rival London as a tech hub around the Silicon Gorge region incorporating Bristol, Gloucester and Swindon.

Leading the charge in Bristol is Brightpearl, based in Marsh Street in the city centre, which has more than doubled its headcount in the last year from 100 to 217.

The retail software provider is looking to fill a similar number of further roles by the end of this year with 30 already recruited as year-on-year sales surge.

Brightpearl is expanding fast following its £275 million take-over by enterprise software giant Sage at the end of last year.

Jacqui Coombs, chief of staff at Brightpearl, said: "Bristol employs 8,000 people in the tech industry and is home to almost 500 tech firms.

“The sector continues to grow – over the last year, companies in Bristol attracted more than £300 million in investment, meaning there will be even more opportunities for people in the city.

Meanwhile, e-commerce firm Huboo is a classic high-tech success story in Bristol with rapid growth and offices in Corn Street.

Its team has expanded from 275 people in May last year to a current total of 630 employees – a headcount increase of 130 per cent.

It is looking to hire a further 100-150 technology staff this year.

Recent months have seen a boom for the firm, as year-on-year revenue increased by 124 per cent between January 2021 and last January.

In addition, warehouse space has more than doubled over the past 12 months from 186,508 sq ft to 378,469 sq ft.