GOLDEN VALLEY — THE UK’S SILICON VALLEY

Cheltenham has been the home of cyber since 1952 when GCHQ moved from its temporary home in London, post Bletchley Park. Quiet, quaint, unassuming – for the past seven decades the town has been the cradle of computer security and ingenuity. Post-war into the Cold War and up to now, information security, Signals Intelligence, the CommunicationsElectronics Security Group (CESG) what is now the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), Cheltenham and the surrounding Gloucestershire countryside has become home to some of the most innovative cybersecurity companies in the UK.

Ever since the NCSC was formed and GCHQ came out of the shadows and into the public arena, we have seen an explosion of start-ups, investments, ecosystems and communities blossom in the Gloucestershire countryside. With a rich stream of talent on tap, a strong ecosystem and support network, founders realised they do not need to set up in London to succeed.

With the Golden Valley Development at full throttle, Cheltenham is now the place to start and grow a cyber business. The town itself embraces its history and association to GCHQ.

In 2019 Cheltenham Borough Council put down £37.5 million to buy the land required to build the Golden Valley development. More recently the government awarded Gloucestershire County Council £249 million for housing there. The first phase of the project is estimated to be valued at £1 billion, that includes the cyber business park – known as UK Cyber Central – and its innovation zone. This level of investment and the hub it is set to create will further cement Cheltenham’s position as the place to set up and run a successful cyber security business in the UK.

When the networking group Cyber Cheltenham (CyNam) was first launched in 2017, organisers expected 40–50 people to attend. But nearly 200 people turned up and it quickly became the largest cyber cluster in the UK. CyNam is now part of a National Cyber Cluster Collaboration, UKC3.

Cyber is a small world but it only takes one or two highly skilled engineers or software scientists to build a unicorn business. Cheltenham is known for horse racing, shopping, festivals and now, increasingly for cyber. Talent attracts talent.

Red Maple Technologies was recently selected by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) as one of the UK’s Most Innovative Cyber SMEs.

This is thanks to the company’s latest product, FractScan Surface, created and developed in Cheltenham.

The exciting thing is that this is only the beginning. As the Golden Valley Project progresses Cheltenham will continue to attract top talent and investment, and allow businesses like Red Maple Technologies to innovate and receive accolades.