Bristol and Bath can be characterised by a culture of collaboration, an unusual variety of disciplines and subsectors thriving in the region, and extremely active communities and networks in both cities.

The cities particularly stand out for investment in R&D and innovation hubs at regional universities, producing a high number of university spinouts.

The University of West of England (UWE) is home to FutureSpace, with wet labs and office space for biotech, and Bristol Robotics Lab with a community of more than 400 researchers and industry practitioners working together.

Founded in 2019, the University of Bristol’s Bristol Digital Futures Institute (BDFI) seeks to better understand how technologies and people are shaping the future together.

The University of Bath has produced many spinouts, some of which have relocated to Bristol as they scale. The university also owns the IAAPS advanced propulsion research project which supports the transport industry to transition to net zero through industry and research collaboration.

A longstanding focus on sustainability has produced a high proportion of B Corps in the area and a growing climate tech subsector more generally.

With distinct cultures and histories, both Bristol and Bath are attractive places to live for tech workers, despite high living costs. Local tech businesses report that access to funding has relied on proximity to London, but a number of new investors have set up in the region in recent years.