Plans have been unveiled to create a new £13.5m cyber innovation centre in London’s Olympic Park.
The London Cyber Innovation Centre will boost East London’s digital cluster and spur the development of technology to keep the country safe from online threats.
The government says the new centre could help create 2,000 UK jobs in cyber security and will help secure Britain’s position as “a global leader in the growing cyber security sector”.
“London is the undisputed leader of European tech, with billions of investment flowing in every year and world-leading firms developing ground-breaking innovations,” said Margot James, minister for digital and the creative industries.
“This new centre in the Olympic Park will build on the site’s legacy of excellence and spark a wave of creativity to develop the cyber security technology of the future and help protect the nation’s industry.”
The new centre will be run by Plexal from its Here East headquarters, and is being funded by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport as part of the government’s five-year, £1.9bn investment to keep the UK safe online.
The centre will offer a tailored programme of support to at least 72 companies over three years and is open to firms from across the UK.
Claire Cockerton, CEO and founder of Plexal, said: “The UK has a strong heritage in tech innovation and a fertile business environment for start-ups to grow. But our future international standing as a world-leading digitally-enabled economy depends on a robust and forward-thinking cyber security sector.
“The centre will help this to develop by delivering bespoke business development programmes, engineering resource, professional services, access to corporate buyers and ambitious investors.
“Our mission is to bring the whole industry together to accelerate innovation, entrepreneurship and business growth for UK PLC.”