The UK ’ s first business-led Cyber Centre is opening in Chippenham
The Swindon and Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership ( SWLEP ) is delighted to announce the opening in Chippenham of the first business-led cyber centre in the UK .
We started with the description of a proposed Business Cyber Centre ( BCC ) in our Local Industrial Strategy published in March 2020 . By August 2020 , we had secured a provisional grant of £ 3.7 million from the Government to develop the case and then deliver the project . 20 months later we have found a site , recruited a team and fully refurbished a three-storey building to deliver a state-of-the-art facility in Chippenham , bringing huge opportunities for employment and training .
We learned from the best cyber initiatives around the world and specifically , Be ’ er Sheba in Israel . Following that example , we have based our BCC on a partnership of defence , security , academia , and entrepreneurial expertise . We are creating a centre for the vibrant cyber economy in Swindon and Wiltshire , with an aim to ensure all businesses in our area , and indeed in the whole UK , are cyber confident and secure . Success in the UK would allow us to extend our ambitions internationally .
The BCC is based at the Greenways Business Park in Chippenham and our building consists of 21,000 square feet of office space with conference and meeting areas across three floors . Supporting cyber businesses based in the building is a priority , but we are also helping to create a cyber ecosystem by supporting a cyber networking cluster and offering services and events for the wider business community . We have space to rent specifically for cyber businesses , a conference facility with a capacity for 140 people , other meeting rooms for hire , a desk-for-hire space on the ground floor opposite a large café and spaces for evening events .
There is a passion amongst the team at the BCC to ensure that it will fully deliver on its aims to :
• engage with and provide affordable and relevant services to SMEs
• create and build a powerful community that can tackle any cyber challenge with confidence
• transform the future of UK business by making cyber security a catalyst for growth
• enable acceleration and innovation of cyber brands for the future
• create a community and eco-system , working with partners and in partnership , to develop skills and help businesses to grow safely
• future proof UK business by closing the cyber skills gap
Perhaps most importantly , we will communicate clearly and simply in plain English . It is so easy to bombard organisations with ‘ cyber-speak ’ in a digital and technical environment which already fills many SMEs with dread .
The BCC is the first business-led cyber centre in the UK , and we are clear what we will deliver .
12 www . tbeswindonandwilts . co . uk
The BCC will Empower Many businesses are unaware of the risks to them of not being fully cyber secure . This lack of understanding could lead , at best , to unrecoverable costs to the business and , at worst , closure of the business . Increasingly , not having sufficient cyber security in place is hindering growth opportunities .
The BCC is striving to ensure that all businesses , regardless of size , fully understand the cyber security landscape ; it aims to translate the technical jargon into English so that cyber security is a catalyst for growth . It wants to empower businesses to grow safely in our expanding digital world .
The BCC will Innovate By providing connections , facilities , and resources to businesses to enable them to collaborate with industry , academia and Government , the BCC will power the acceleration and innovation of cyber brands for the future . Cyber products and services should be resilient and promote the UK ’ s entrepreneurial reach and impact .
The BCC will Collaborate Together with the Swindon and Wiltshire Cyber Cluster ( SWCC – read on ) the BCC will create and provide a community and ecosystem committed to helping businesses grow safely . Cyber security is no longer an optional extra . By working alongside cyber businesses and educators the BCC aims to transform cyber complexity into cyber confidence for all . Relationships , skills , knowledge and opportunity will all be developed by having a combined approach and engendering collaboration across the sectors .
The BCC will Educate Individuals and businesses will be able to learn and grow through immersive training and cyber professional level courses at the centre . By closing the cyber skills gap , the BCC will assist in future-proofing UK businesses and organisations . In partnership with the University of Bath and Defence Digital at MOD Corsham , there will be a wide variety of skills options available for new and experienced learners .
Cyber Skills Bootcamps As the cyber sector continues to expand , demand for cyber security specialists is growing exponentially across all sectors of the economy . The need for skilled , confident cyber security professionals who understand the technology and the challenges is key to securing and protecting our digital society .
The BCC plans to deliver a 16-week programme which will train individuals in the identification and mitigation of security threats and help to develop the basic technical knowledge and software development skills necessary to ensure that organisations can keep their business and customers safe .
The Swindon and Wiltshire Cyber Cluster The Swindon and Wiltshire Cyber Cluster ( SWCC ) will also be based at the Centre and is a group created specifically for cyber security SMEs from across our region . Membership of the Cluster is free of charge and all members are invited to regular meetings to hear speakers and take part in networking and discussion events .
The Cluster is managed by the Swindon & Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership , and it aims to support its members through communicating national and international initiatives and trade prospects . It encourages collaboration and identifies partnership opportunities . As well as specialist networking , it promotes the sharing of ideas and best practices so that cyber security specialist businesses in our area can find new ways to thrive and develop .
Alongside the aims of the BCC , the SWCC will also support the UK Government ’ s Cyber Security Strategy and our local economic priorities by building cyber security knowledge , skills , infrastructure and capabilities to make local businesses more resilient to cyber-attacks through minimising risks .